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Verstappen’s stellar performance at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix brought F1’s 2022 season to a close. Stay away from other fields. It was another perfect weekend for the Dutchman, who rode his way to claim his 15th victory of the year.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was one of Leclerc’s best drives in F1. Ferrari’s strategy was correct, letting Leclerc get in the car one-stop. It worked, and Leclerc was hugely praised for his tire protection and the way he handled the late pressure from Sergio Perez. A well-deserved runner-up in 2022.
It was a tight race for Perez at the Yas Marina Circuit. Not only did he not have Verstappen’s race pace, but he simply did not have the ability to take care of the tires and was threatened by Leclerc early on. He was also naive on a few occasions when passing Hamilton and Vettel, costing Leclerc valuable time.
All weekend in Abu Dhabi, Sainz wasn’t quite keeping pace with Leclerc. Given his performances in Mexico, the United States and Brazil, Sainz headed into the winter break with a timely reminder that he still has work to do to become a true challenger to Leclerc, let alone Verstappen. .
Russell had an eventful but unremarkable weekend. He was narrowly beaten by team-mate Lewis Hamilton in qualifying, but managed to pass the seven-time champion during a mid-tyre pit stop. He was going to finish behind Hamilton, but technical problems forced him out of the race, allowing Russell to finish fifth.
Another incredible weekend for Norris in Abu Dhabi. He took the most points out of the McLaren in both qualifying and the race, and even set the fastest lap along the way. A stellar season for a sensational driver.
Ocon’s 2022 ended strong, scoring another quietly. He was the quicker of the two alpine runners this weekend, and he scored the key points to secure France’s fourth place in the constructors’ championship.
Stroll was slower at Aston Martin in Abu Dhabi, but he took full advantage of a better two-stop strategy that allowed him to pass retired teammate Sebastian Vettel. It was a successful end to the dull season of the Canadians.
A respectable end to Ricciardo’s F1 career (at least for now). He lost his position with a three-place grid penalty, but slowly recovered as the race wore on. He held off Vettel in the closing laps – a battle that ensured that Alfa Romeo remained sixth in the drivers’ championship.
Sebastian Vettel – 8
The four-time champion deserved better in his final F1 race. As his one-stop strategy simply didn’t work, he stayed within the top seven before dropping to the top. Vettel will be missed, especially when he is still playing better than he has been in recent years.
Yuki Tsunoda – 7
Tsunoda took full advantage of AlphaTauri in Abu Dhabi. Again he was faster than teammate Pierre Gasly and finished 11th. It was a considerable step forward for the Japanese driver.
Zhou Guanyu – 6
Zhou did his best to lead the Alfa Romeo’s charge, while teammate Valtteri Bottas struggled with tire temperatures throughout. He later passed Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly to finish 12th. It’s been a good rookie season for Zhou, but he needs to start the weekend with Alfa Romeo having a car capable of finishing in the top 10.
Alex Albon – 7
Albon took full advantage of Williams on a track that wasn’t quite right for them given the long straights. If Williams has a more competitive car in F1 2023, Albon will certainly deliver.
Pierre Gasly – 5
Another anonymous weekend for Gasly, who must be looking forward to his life with Alpine next season. He was again defeated by teammate Kakuda.
Valtteri Bottas – 5
Bottas blamed insufficient tire temperature for his surprise Q1 exit in Abu Dhabi. Starting on the hard tyres, he dropped to the back of the field. He struggled to bounce back from his usual sluggish start to pass Mick Schumacher.
Mick Schumacher – 6
Schumacher’s F1 career came to a disappointing end when he crashed into Nicolas Latifi in the infamous hairpin. Without that, it would have been a respectable weekend for the German, comfortably beating team-mate Magnussen in qualifying.
Kevin Magnussen – 5
After a high in Brazil, Magnussen returned to reality in Abu Dhabi. The slower of the two Haas cars was underwhelming against the Dane.
Lewis Hamilton – 7
It is worth noting that this is Hamilton’s first technology-related DNF since the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix. Hamilton had been on a solid race until then, taking on Sainz and Russell in the first leg of the race. Without that problem, he would have likely finished fifth.
Nicholas Latifi – 5
Latifi’s last F1 race ended early after being kicked out by Schumacher. Unfortunately, but in the end it doesn’t matter. A strong ending was never on the table.
Fernando Alonso – 7
Another technical issue pulled Alonso out of the race – a suspected water leak, according to Alpine.
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