Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race Report: Verstappen cruises to victory, Ferrari takes second
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race Report: Verstappen cruises to victory, Ferrari takes second
Max Verstappen put the finishing touches on his successful 2022 season by crossing the finish line in Abu Dhabi eight seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc. Still, Ferrari secured second place in both constructor’s and driver’s championships.
Verstappen outran teammate Perez into Turn 1 and changed from medium to hard tyres on Lap 20 before completing the race on hard tyres to win his record-extending 15th race of the year.
Perez and Leclerc, who were battling it out for second place in the championship, put on an exciting duel. In response, Leclerc extended his second stint with a one-stop plan while Perez pitted early for both stops.
The Red Bull driver attempted to overtake the Ferrari for P2 with laps remaining but was unsuccessful. As a result, he came in third place, trailing Leclerc in the championship.
Lewis Hamilton attempted a one-stop strategy three laps from the finish but had to retire in the pits. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz came in fourth. Following that, George Russell finished fifth for Mercedes alone.
Lando Norris won the fastest lap and crossed the finish line ending in sixth place for McLaren. Esteban Ocon’s seventh-place finish for Alpine allowed the French team to secure fourth place in the constructors’ standings. Unfortunately, Fernando Alonso retired in his final race for Alpine. Lance Stroll’s two-stop strategy helped him finish eight.
The top 10 included two F1-retiring drivers. Sebastian Vettel was only six-tenths behind Daniel Ricciardo, whose team chose a one-stop strategy, finishing in P9. The four-time World Champion lost a point because he could not pass the McLaren. Aston Martin ended on an even number of points with Alfa Romeo but behind in the standings.
Yuki Tsunoda missed out on points as a final stint on soft tyres failed to pay off. Alex Albon had a strong start and finished P12 ahead of Zhou Guanyu and Pierre Gasly.
Valtteri Bottas finished 15th. Mick Schumacher placed 16th in his final race for Haas after receiving a five-second penalty for colliding with Nicholas Latifi. Due to the failure of his one-stop strategy, Kevin Magnussen finished 17th in the 2022 Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Even though Vettel and Ricciardo ultimately took the spotlight of the race weekend, the 2022 season was all about a third driver: Max Verstappen. Verstappen ends 2022 as a record-breaker, a double world champion, and the driver who is unquestionably at the pinnacle of his profession in what may very well end up being his most successful F1 season.
