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Formula 1 returns to action One of the most embarrassing title deciders in history After a year it was barely live.
The drivers’ and constructors’ titles have long been won by Red Bull, with 16 victories from 21 races heading into Sunday’s season finale in Abu Dhabi. Despite the decisive nature of the season, the finale was filled with interesting side-plots that fueled F1’s recent explosion in popularity in the US.
Max Verstappen won his second consecutive title four races ago, with his 14 victories this season an F1 record. Red Bull won the constructors’ title three races ago, and the last important battle for second place in the drivers’ championship came down to Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
There was a lot of drama after that fight Verstappen refused to let Perez finish sixth in Brazil last week. The snub – Verstappen apparently harbored lingering animosity towards Perez after he crashed at the end of qualifying at Monaco and then won the race in May – left Perez with a loss at the top of the standings. With two points, he and Leclerc entered the weekend tied for second. Red Bull has never been 1-2 in the standings in the history of the team.
Verstappen’s refusal to abide by team order was certainly exciting, but it didn’t elevate Sunday’s race to the level of last season, when Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton arrived in Abu Dhabi for one of the most exciting title races in F1. in history.
Hamilton won a three-game winning streak, clinching himself a record eighth title and leading 51 of 58 laps in Abu Dhabi. The later warnings then led to a series of rulings by the later-sacked race director that not only changed the F1 protocol, but also allowed Verstappen to overtake Hamilton on the final lap for victory and his first world championship. champion.
There is no sign of such chaos on Sunday, with Verstappen saying that if he can help Perez finish second in the standings, he will.
So, what else is there to look forward to in Abu Dhabi?
Vettel’s last race
Four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel will make his 299th and final start on Sunday when the German plans to retire after the race.
Vettel won four consecutive drivers’ titles from 2010 to 2013, and only Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio have more F1 titles. The 35-year-old’s resume includes 53 victories, 57 pole positions and 69 podium finishes in 16 seasons.
He called it quits after two seasons with Aston Martin and had to adjust to not fighting for the win.
“I like working with the team, getting to know different people and different approaches,” Vettel said. “It’s been a very challenging two years because I’m not familiar with running behind the pitch. It’s a new experience and it can be tough at times.”
mercedes in the mix
Mercedes has been dealing with underperforming cars all season but appears to have turned the corner last month, Got its first win of the season last week with George Russell.
Russell’s first season at Mercedes became the 20th British driver to win a grand prix and the first to play “God Save the King” during the podium celebration.
However, Hamilton is in danger of going without a win for the first time in his 16-year F1 career. He has finished runners-up three times in a row, finishing 1-2 in Brazil, Mercedes’ first runner-up since Hamilton beat former team-mate Valtteri Bottas at Imola in 2020.
hamilton Committed to helping Mercedes get back to winning ways and has opened talks for a multi-year contract extension That would keep him in his 40s in F1. Hamilton turned 38 in January.
final journey
There will be a series of driver changes after Sunday in what could be Daniel Ricciardo’s last F1 race.
The Australian, who was bought out of his contract with McLaren last year, is unwilling to enter into dialogue with the reserve team. He has ruled out a trip to the U.S. to dabble in IndyCar — Ricciardo says never race on an oval — or dabble in Nascar road racing.
Instead, he hopes to serve as a reserve driver at a top team and return to F1 in 2023.
Nicholas Latifi has lost his seat at Williams, with the Canadian saying he is interested in IndyCar but will sit out next season without a suitable replacement.He will be replaced by American driver Logan Sargent next season If Sargeant manages to get his super license this weekend.
Fernando Alonso will leave the Alps to succeed Vettel at Aston Martin, while Pierre Gasly will drive his final race for the AlphaTauri before taking Alonso’s seat in the Alps.
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