New Daniel Ricciardo Car Footage Shows Just How Close The Final Lap Of The F1 Season Was

It'll go down as one of the greatest (and most controversial) final laps in Formula 1 history.

With the championship on the line in the last race of the season, Max Verstappen zipped round Lewis Hamilton on one of the last turns during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to snatch the world title from right under his rival's nose.

Yes, it came under questionable circumstances, but that doesn't take away from the sheer thrill and excitement of it all - well, at least from the viewpoint of us fans.

PA

Was Hamilton robbed? Yes, perhaps.

Was Verstappen a worthy winner? Almost certainly.

But no matter how many times we watch it back, even in years to come, supporters will always be divided on how it all unfolded.

Viewing it on television at the time, it was easy to see just how close it was as a race.

But now new remarkable footage has emerged from inside Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren car and it shows that the Aussie had the best seat in the house to watch Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton battle it out.

With just five laps left to go, Hamilton lost his 10-second lead when the safety car was deployed.

It was ruled that five of the lapped cars would be clear, which ultimately saw Verstappen's Red Bull clear the traffic and go directly behind Hamilton's Mercedes.

In most cases, all the lapped cars are given the green light to overtake and unlap, but Ricciardo was forced to stay behind Verstappen and Hamilton.

His positioning meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, although it did mean he had the ringside seat to watch the two rivals battle it out on the final lap of the race.

And, rather unsurprisingly, the in-car footage from Ricciardo's McLaren shows how agonisingly tight it was.

You also get to witness Verstappen, who happened to be on fresher tires, produce a slick inside overtake which will go downas one of the best moves of the season - and perhaps his career.

Of course, we all know it ended up playing out with the flying Dutchman eventually crowned champion after what seemed like hours of protests and appeals.

You've probably seen a thousand replays by now, but do yourself a favour and what this new clip of Ricciardo's viewpoint - you won't be disappointed.

Topics: Daniel Ricciardo, Motorsport, Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1, F1, Australia, Max Verstappen

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry