At Verstappen’s 15th triumph, Leclerc was also the winner

Under the blazing floodlights of the Yas Marina Circuit, Max Verstappen has set the record for victories in a Formula 1 season even higher. The already established world champion won the final in Abu Dhabi yesterday and thus managed the 15th stroke. Ferrari man Charles Leclerc secured second place in the drivers’ standings behind the outshining Red Bull driver by finishing second ahead of Verstappen colleague Sergio Perez. Both went into the season finale on equal points.

Record world champion Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, had to park his car prematurely in his 200th race for Mercedes due to hydraulic damage a few kilometers before the end. This ended an impressive series: For the first time since he entered Formula 1 in 2007, the Brit ended a season without a win.

“It will be difficult to repeat something like that again,” Verstappen summed up after his 35th Grand Prix triumph. After starting from pole position, he controlled the race effortlessly in front of Perez. The hierarchy behind it seemed firmly cemented, as the Ferrari duo Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were not in danger from the Mercedes of George Russell and Hamilton driving behind them. After lap 33, Perez was the first driver to get new tires for the second time, giving Leclerc a strategic opportunity. The Monegasse fell by the wayside and had to hope that Perez no longer came close. That worked out, especially since the Mexican Perez was held up too much in the end by cars that had to be lapped.

Vettel’s parting gift

At the last career race, a doggedly fighting Sebastian Vettel gave himself a small farewell gift. The German worked his way up into the points for the last time in tenth place in Abu Dhabi, where he won his first of a total of four world championship titles in 2010. “It will be strange not to have him here next year,” said Fernando Alonso, who will take over Vettel’s car at Aston Martin in 2023.