‘Justice Served’ as bookmaker forks over for Hamilton title win
Chris Grand |World-renowned bookmaker Paddy Power say “justice is served”, since they paid out on wagers for Lewis Hamilton to win the 2021 F1 World Drivers’ Championship.
Even though Lewis Hamilton lost the 2021 F1 Drivers’ Championship contest, world-renowned sportsbooks Paddy Power have gone ahead to pay out for the bettors who placed bets on Lewis Hamilton to win the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The seven-time World Champion took a commanding lead for much of the race, only for a late Safety Car to give Max Verstappen of Red Bull a chance to gamble on a fresh set of tyres.
With a lap to go, the Race Control brought in the Safety Car, clearing out lapped cars of Verstappen’s way. This big move saw Max Verstappen winning the race as he stormed past on the final lap of the race.
The controversial ending didn’t sit well with Hamilton’s Mercedes with the company complaining after the race had based on the nature of the Safety Car period ended. Both appeals fell on deaf ears, with Mercedes finally letting the case to rest.
“A bad decision”
Normally, such a result would have bettors holding their heads following a huge change in fortune, but surprisingly, Paddy Power chose to pay out for both drivers, branding the final decision a “sporting injustice.”
“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,” read a statement from Paddy Power’s website.
“We have decided to pay out on both Max Verstappen AND Lewis Hamilton to win the World Drivers’ Championship.
“And, for good measure, we’ve paid out on both Verstappen and Hamilton to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix too.”
“Consider justice served,” concluded the from Paddy Power’s website.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Formula 1 Lewis Hamilton Max Verstappen Mercedes Red Bull