Max Verstappen wins the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to take his 15th win of 2022

Despite Max Verstappen having already won the championship before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a lot of things remained undecided in the standings going into the final race of 2022. The biggest race was the one for second place in the Driver’s Championship. Charles Leclerc and Checo Perez came into the race with equal points, with both drivers sitting at 290.

The weekend would also be an emotional one for fans. Sebastian Vettel announced earlier this year that he would be retiring from Formula 1 by the end of 2022, which meant that Abu Dhabi would be his last race. In his many years in the sport, Seb has achieved 4 world championships, 53 wins, and 122 podiums.


Qualifying

Max Verstappen achieved his 7th Pole Position of the season, with Checo Perez sliding into P2. This race would be Red Bull’s first front-row lockout since 2018.

Charles Leclerc and his teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr. slotted into P3 and P4 respectively, while Lewis Hamilton rounded out the Top 5.

Sebastian Vettel also made it to Q3 in his final qualifying in Formula 1. Seb fought hard and qualified in 9th place.


Race Day

Red Bull had a fantastic start with both Max and Checo pulling away from Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. In Turn 6, Hamilton went wide and cut across the track during a tussle with Carlos Sainz. Hamilton was told to give back the position and Sainz took back P4.

Both Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton were later forced to retire due to mechanical issues. Meanwhile, George Russell almost made contact with Lando Norris leaving the pit lane.

By the end of the race, the battle between Perez and Leclerc was heating up. Checo fought a wild battle but it just wasn’t enough to keep up with the Ferrari’s pace. Charles Leclerc took second in the race and the championship.

Max Verstappen also took his 15th win of the 2022 season, ahead of Leclerc and his teammate. Verstappen currently holds the record for the most wins in a season, making his record the one to beat.


Final Standings

1st - :netherlands: Max Verstappen - 454 Points

2nd - :monaco: Charles Leclerc - 308 Points

3rd - :mexico: Sergio Perez - 305 Points

4th - :uk: George Russell - 275 Points

5th - :es: Carlos Sainz Jr - 246 Points