Verstappen reveals Mercedes boss Wolff congratulated him for 'deserved' win in Abu Dhabi

Red Bull driver won Formula One world championship after controversial finish at Yas Marina

Race winner and 2021 F1 world champion Max Verstappen and his Red Bull Racing team celebrate on the podium after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit on December 12, 2021. Victor Besa / The National

Verstappen fought off Lewis Hamilton in a nail-biting finish. Victor Besa / The National

Verstappen runs to celebrate with his team. Victor Besa / The National

The Dutch driver clinched the race and the championship on the final lap. Victor Besa / The National

Race fans cheer as Verstappen wins. Victor Besa / The National

Verstappen enjoys that winning feeling. Reuters

Verstappen drinks in the moment as Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton looks dejected after finishing second. Reuters

Verstappen and Hamilton go head to head on the track. Victor Besa / The National

An Etihad Airways flyover before the race. The airline sponsored the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Victor Besa / The National

Verstappen in action. Victor Besa / The National

Hamilton took an early lead. Victor Besa / The National

Verstappen and Hamilton led the championship going into the final race. Victor Besa / The National

The start of the race. Reuters

Drivers pose for their end-of-season picture before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. AP

Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel before the race. Reuters

Fans of Verstappen and Hamilton before the race. Reuters

Hamilton looks relaxed before the race. Reuters

Verstappen looks like he means business. Reuters

Hamilton soaks up the early atmosphere. Victor Besa / The National

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas with his girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell. Victor Besa / The National

Verstappen arrives at the circuit with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet. Reuters

Hamilton on the Yas Marina Circuit. AFP

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen took stock of his new status on Monday and revealed that Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, despite threatening to appeal, had texted his congratulations.

The 24-year-old handed Red Bull their first title since 2013 in Abu Dhabi on Sunday when he overtook Mercedes' seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton on the last lap of the final race of the season.

Mercedes had two protests dismissed but have signaled they intend to take the matter further.

Hamilton and his father Anthony congratulated Verstappen and father Jos after the race but Wolff stayed out of sight.

"Toto sent me a text, congratulations on the season and that I deserved to win it, so that was very nice of him of course," Verstappen said on a video call on Monday.

"Lewis is a great sportsman in general. He came up to me and congratulated me and it must have been of course very tough in that last lap," he added.

"But it also shows the respect we have for each other.

"Of course we had our tough times throughout the season but in the end we respect what we were doing and we were pushing each other to the limit the whole season. It has been really enjoyable racing against him."

Verstappen had to wait some hours for the stewards to dismiss the protests but then it was party time with the whole team, from engineers to caterers, celebrating into the dawn.

The champion admitted to some nerves on Saturday night, when he was itching for the battle to start, but he had managed to sleep.

There was no disappointment in the race finishing amid controversy, a safety car period ending just in time for one crucial lap of racing thanks to the intervention of race director Michael Masi.

"I think it just sums up the whole season in general. It’s been pretty crazy and intense," said Verstappen.