Dutch driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull), double world champion, ended a Formula 1 season which he largely dominated with another victory this Sunday at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the last race of the year, ahead of Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), who secured second place.

Verstappen took a record 15 wins in 2022 but Red Bull failed to complete the first-ever double in the Drivers’ Championship, with Mexican Sergio Pérez finishing three points behind Leclerc.

After the last 58 laps of the year and approximately 306 kilometers covered on the Yas Marina circuit, F1 went on vacation and one of its great champions, Sebastian Vettel, with four consecutive titles (2010-2013), has bid farewell to the category reaching tenth place. position.

– Worst season for Hamilton –

“Incredible to win again here (third time in a row), 15th victory of the season,” smiled Verstappen, who won the 35th victory of his career in Abu Dhabi. “It was great to get a year like this, I know it’s going to be hard to repeat, but it’s good motivation to try and do the same next year.”

For other drivers, the holiday period will have to be spent studying to improve performance until March 5, 2023, when a record 24-race season will begin in Bahrain.

“I really hope that next year we can take a step forward to fight for the title, we will work hard during the holidays,” promised Leclerc.

Ferrari also took second place in the constructors’ championship, ahead of Mercedes, but the problems are very real for the Italian team, which started the year with the title in mind.

Behind, Mercedes, after its first victory of the year last week in Brazil, ends the championship with a bitter taste. Forced to abandon the race in Abu Dhabi due to a mechanical problem, the seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton lived in 2022 his first season without victories or poles since his debut in F1 in 2007.

What is certain is that the German team will have to reinvent itself. But Hamilton, 37, also suffered a personal defeat for his young teammate.

George Russell, 24, achieved the feat of overcoming the seven-time champion in his first season at the wheel of one of the “Silver Arrows”: with a pole position and a victory, he finished fourth in the championship drivers, while sixth-placed Hamilton posted its worst finish in 16 seasons.

Among the teams, Alpine managed fourth place in its private dispute with McLaren, who finished fifth.

– Next –

Next year, F1 will be without a big name. The German Sebastian Vettel leaves the category at 35 with four titles, won between 2010 and 2013 with Red Bull, to devote himself to his family and off-track agendas (ecology, defense of diversity).

His young compatriot Mick Schumacher lost his seat at Haas after two unconvincing seasons. If he is to hold on to the hope of a comeback, he could start thinking about replacing Canadian Nicholas Latifi at Williams, who also quit today.

Latifi, 27, three seasons, no podiums and many mistakes, left F1 for lack of results – like his last place in Abu Dhabi.

His accident at this circuit in 2021 caused the entry of the safety car, which changed the course of the race and gave Verstappen victory and the world title against Hamilton, amid controversial decisions by race management .

Australian Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren), ninth in Abu Dhabi, also has no team for 2023, but could be Red Bull’s reserve driver.

Finally, the Spaniard Fernando Alonso, 41, bids farewell to Alpine in the direction of Aston Martin. He finished the year ninth behind his French teammate Esteban Ocon.

Alonso will be replaced in the France team by Pierre Gasly, who leaves AlphaTauri with a discreet 14th place in the world.

— Classification of the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi:

1. Max Verstappen (HOL/Red Bull) 1h27:45.914

2.Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) +8,771

3. Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull) +10,093

4. Carlos Sainz (ESP/Ferrari) +24 892

5.George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) +35 888

6. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren) +56 234

7. Esteban Ocon (FRA / Alpine) +57.240

8.Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin) +1:16.931

9.Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/McLaren) +1:23.268

10.Sebastian Vettel (ALE/Aston Martin) +1:23.898

11.Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri) +1:29.371

12.Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Alfa Romeo) +1 lap

13.Alexander Albon (TAI/Williams) +1 lap

14.Pierre Gasly (FRA/AlphaTauri) +1 lap

15.Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Alfa Romeo) +1 lap

16.Mick Schumacher (ALE/Haas) +1 lap

17.Kevin Magnussen (DIN / Haas) during the 1st tour

18. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) +3 laps

19.Nicholas Latifi (CAN/Williams) +3 laps

Fastest lap in the race: Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren) 1:28.391 on lap 44

Dropouts:

Fernando Alonso (ESP / Alpine): mechanical problem on lap 28

Lewis Hamilton (GBR / Mercedes): mechanical problem on lap 56 (classified)

Nicholas Latifi (CAN / Williams): mechanical problem on lap 56 (ranked)

— Formula 1 World Ranking:

.Drivers Championship:

1. Max Verstappen (HOL) 454 pts CHAMPION

2. Charles Leclerc (MON) 308

3. Sergio Perez (MEX) 305

4. George Russell (GBR) 275

5. Carlos Sainz (ESP) 246

6. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 240

7. Lando Norris (GBR) 122

8. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 92

9. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 81

10. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) 49

11. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) 37

12. Sebastien Vettel (ALE) 37

13. Kevin Magnussen (DIN) 25

14. Pierre Gasly (FRA) 23

15. Lance Ride (CAN) 18

16. Mick Schumacher (EFA) 12

17. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) 12

18. Zhou Guanyu (CHN) 6

19. Alexandre Albon (TAI) 4

20. Nicolas Latifi (CAN) 2

21. Nyck de Vries (HOL) 2

22. Nico Hulkenberg (EFA) 0

.Constructors’ Championship:

1. Red Bull CHAMPIONSHIP 759 points

2.Ferrari 554

3.Mercedes 515

4. Alpine 173

5.McLaren 159

6. Alfa Romeo 55

7.Aston Martin 55

8.Haas 37

9. Alpha Tauri 35

10.Williams 8

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© Agence France-Presse