Max Verstappen has explained that "very, very painful" cramp in his leg was a major distraction on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as he battled Lewis Hamilton for the win and world title. Following a late Safety Car period at the Yas Marina Circuit, Hamilton and Verstappen were effectively involved in a one-lap shootout, with Hamilton running older Hard tyres, while Verstappen had the benefit of fresh Softs. Verstappen ultimately came out on top with a bold move into the Turn 5 hairpin, crossing the line for his 10th win of the season and his first-ever F1 crown.
Verstappen's cramp "very, very painful"
Verstappen touched on his cramp during the immediate post-race interviews , and later expanded on the issue in the drivers' press conference. "It was pretty crazy [at the end], but I also had massive cramp in my leg in that whole last lap," Verstappen told accredited media, including RacingNews365.com . "I was behind Lewis going to Turn 2 and 3, and I had a massive cramp, so I was like full throttle, but barely having the force to push anymore. I was happy to have Turn 5, so I could brake and relax for a few seconds, and then [get] back on it for two long straights, which was very, very painful. "Of course, for that last lap, you just bite through it. But yeah, insane emotions afterwards!"
Verstappen discusses his title-winning pass
Verstappen went on to discuss how he approached the decisive final-lap battle with Hamilton, given their offset tyre strategies. "You try to react to what he is doing, so I tried to be not too far away," Verstappen commented. "I could see he was struggling quite a bit for the Hard tyres to warm up, and I had the grip, so I could stay relatively close. "Of course, on the Soft tyres on that first lap, you could clearly see I had more grip. But then you still have after Turn 5 two very long straights where you have a chance to come back, and it was all pretty close between us."
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