Bookie pays out bets for Hamilton winning Abu Dhabi GP – “The race organisers went rogue”

Paddy Power, an Ireland-headquartered bookie, have paid out bets for Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton winning the Abu Dhabi GP.

Those who bet on Hamilton to win the race at Yas Marina were left shocked at what had transpired there. Having led the entire race until the final lap, some late shenanigans saw him robbed of a surefire win under controversial circumstances.

Michael Masi and the FIA played fast and loose with the Safety Car rules. Instead of adhering to the rule of letting all the lapped cars by, they only let the ones between Hamilton and Max Verstappen by. With the latter on new tyres, the Red Bull driver overtook his title rival on the last lap and won the race and the championship.

With controversy reigning supreme in the aftermath, the bookie paid out bets for Hamilton winning the Abu Dhabi GP, expressing their disgust at what had happened on that day.

“Max Verstappen needed a miracle to win, and one duly arrived in the form of a dodgy decision from the race organisers who appeared to rip up the rulebook and go rogue for the final lap of the race,” the bookmaker said in a statement.

Justice jam on toast

In a classy move, Paddy Power ended up paying those who bet on the seven-time world champion to win at Abu Dhabi in addition to those who backed Super Max to win his maiden world title.

“We have decided to pay out on both Max Verstappen AND Lewis Hamilton to win the World Drivers’ Championship,” they continued.

“And, for good measure, we’ve paid out on both Verstappen and Hamilton to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix too. Consider justice served.”

Read more: Wolff wants a better solution to F1 Abu Dhabi mess than just replacing Masi as race director

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