F1 2022: Max Verstappen dominates Abu Dhabi GP

Fernando Alonso, who is set to replace Vettel at Aston Martin in 2023, was unable to complete his final race for Alpine.

At Abu Dhabi, the 2022 Formula 1 season concluded, as the two-time World Champion, Max Verstappen, sailed to a record-extending 15th victory of the year. Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez came in third, whereas Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished second, giving him the championship lead by three points.

Verstappen ended the year strong, winning 15 of the 22 races on the schedule. He had an outstanding 2022 and dominated the season to defend his title. The Red Bull guys raced to maintain their 1-2 lead, with Leclerc in pursuit, as the lights dimmed at the glitzy Yas Marina circuit. 

Sebastian Vettel, a four-time champion and winner of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix's Driver of the Day award, finished 10th in his final race for Aston Martin. The hydraulic breakdown in Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes car, Mercedes' first car failure of the year, forced him to leave the race on the second-last lap. Ferrari's Lando Norris of Great Britain completed the fastest lap in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez qualified first and second, with Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in third and fourth, respectively, and Lewis Hamilton in fifth, for Sunday's main race.

In his final Formula 1 race, Vettel used a one-stop approach to secure a championship point to add to his already impressive total. The four-time World Champion remarked, 'A big thank you for all the support – so many flags, so many smiling faces, which has been very, very special. I’m sure I’m going to miss it more than I understand right now.'

'The last two years have maybe been a bit disappointing from a sporting point of view but very, very useful and important to me in my life. A lot of things happened, [there were] a lot of things that I realised,' he further added.

Verstappen maintained his lead over teammate Sergio Perez. In fact, he did not face any real challenges on his path to victory. Commenting on this feat, he said, 'Incredible to win again here, 15th win of the season is unbelievable. It's been really enjoyable to work with the whole team and to be able to achieve something like this.'

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