F1 Managing Director Ross Brawn says he is hopeful Max Verstappen's dominant vict🃏ory for Red BulL Racing iꩵn the 2020 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale is a sure sign the team can take this momentum right through the winter and into next year.

In a year that has seen Verstappen act as a familiar bridge to the dominant Mercedes' out front and the chasing pack behind, the Dutchman emerged as the clear force around the Yas Marina Circuit w💞ith pole position and a ninth career F1 win.

A second victory of the year to go with his 70th Anniversary Grand Prix win at Silverstone - not to mention an 11th podium in 17 races - the result is a vindicating boost for the team t꧑hat has not only battled the mighty Mercedes W11 but at times its own ﷽tempestuous RB16-Honda.

However, with Mercede💜s off-key in Abu Dhabi and Verstappen on top form, Brawn believes the timely result 'on merit' will inspiꦍre Red Bull into closing the margin to Mercedes out front 

"It was great to see Red Bull and Max Verstappen win on merit and the result can give us some optimism that there will be more great battles at the front next year, espe🌺cially as the cars aren’t changing that much," he wrote in his posဣt-race column.

"This weekend in Abu Dhabi proved that Formula 1 is all about fine margins. This time, Mercedes were off a little bit – and Red Bull executed their weekend brilliantlyඣ.

"What is💦 encouraging is if you think back to the beginning of the year, Mercedes had a b꧟ig advantage but over the course of the season, Red Bull have been chipping away at that. The RB16 didn’t work but they got it sorted."