(Motorsport) Max Verstappen secured his 15th win in a remarkable 2022 Formula 1 season, this time at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. The Dutchman held off his teammate right from the time the lights went out and secured a comfortable victory in the final race of the season to wrap up a fantastic campaign for the World Champion. Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished in second place, holding off Red Bull’s Sergio Perez to finish second in the Drivers Standings. Both the drivers were on equal points before the race began and second place was dependent on who finishes higher on the grid. 

Carlos Sainz finished in fourth place while Hamilton, who suffered a hydraulic failure in the last lap failed to win a race for the first time in his 22 year long Formula 1 career. George Russell finished in fifth place and incurred a five second penalty due to unsafe release in the pits while Sebastian Vettel, who was in the final race of his Formula 1 career finished with a point, although he fell behind his teammate Lance Stroll and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon. Vettel finished above Daniel Ricciardo, who also competed in his final Formula 1 race for the foreseeable future as he is set to leave McLaren. Fernando Alonso had a DNF, his fourth in the last seven races and is now set to leave Alpine for Aston Martin in the 2023 season.

Speaking after the race, Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc said “It was a great race. We executed to perfection, which was what we were focusing on in the last few races. We executed in the right one, and the one with the most pressure. Obviously, the outside pressure with all the rumours going around coming into the weekend, the pressure of keeping the second place in the drivers' and constructors' championships, and we managed to perform at our best in a situation like this, which makes me very proud of the team. I think Red Bull were still stronger than we were today. But we pushed them to make mistakes and pushed them into two stops, and eventually that paid off, so we're very happy. 

“We were doubting, but I have to say that everything that we've done was exactly what we wanted to do. Exactly the laps we were putting Checo under pressure, that's what was planned before, the laps where we dummied him and made him think we were going to pit opposite, he took it and went for the second stop, so we did everything perfect, and I'm very proud of our execution today. It's been a very difficult season for the whole team. We started extremely well then we've had loads of problems, with the reliability, strategy, tyre management later on in the season. That wasn't easy to manage knowing that the potential was in the car to do very well. So to finish on a high at least is good. Now we need to focus on finding the next step for the race pace, because Red Bull seems to have found something that we don't have for now." 

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz said “I think it's been, in the end, a good season for the team. You need to think where we were coming from the last two seasons. To be back fighting for wins, getting into the championship, I think is overall a good season. I know we did plenty of mistakes and we didn't develop as well as Mercedes and Red Bull, which are things we take on board for next season. Now that we are back fighting at the top, we know the two or three things that we need to improve. 

“Clearly Red Bull is just simply a more solid package where it works well at every circuit, whereas we were a bit more circuit dependent, in the second half of the season especially. I think the first half we were quick everywhere, but in the second half we simply didn't develop enough. The others have clearly out-developed us, especially Merc, and also a bit Red Bull. That's how it goes, it's Formula 1, it's the first year of the team back fighting for wins, so we also got to see the level at which Red Bull are and what we need to do next year if we want to beat them." 

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Final result

1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
3) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
4) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
5) George Russell, Mercedes
6) Lando Norris, McLaren
7) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
8) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
9) Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren
10) Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin

Also read: Max Verstappen hits out at criticism and abuse after Brazil GP debacle