2022 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix highlights

Introduction

 

Max Verstappen won the 2022 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in comfortable fashion – but Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took P2 to finish ahead of Sergio Perez for second in the championship.

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Mario Isola, Motorsport Director, Pirelli:

Abu Dhabi provided a worthy finale to this exceptional Formula 1 season. The finishing order at Yas Marina was determined by choice of different tyre strategies. This further demonstrates how Pirelli’s work has made this year’s championship compelling and competitive. As we expected, we saw both one-stop and two-stop strategies today. Generally speaking, degradation was lower than it had been on Friday, allowing longer stints. The compound of the race was undoubtedly hard, which took most of the drivers to the chequered flag. Tuesday will be Pirelli day, with the teams all staying on to test the 2023 tyres for the first time. Even though the cars won’t be the same as those used next year and the set-up is not optimised for the new specification of the tyre, the teams will still obtain important feedback on the three softest compounds – which are best suited to the characteristics of the Yas Marina track – and the new C1.

How the race was won:

World champion Max Verstappen won the final round of the 2022 season in Abu Dhabi. The Dutchman finished ahead of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. All the drivers on the podium ended the race on the P Zero White hard.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix took place in partially cloudy conditions and asphalt temperatures that ranged between 31.4 and 34.4 degrees, similar to yesterday’s qualifying. The teams chose a variety of different strategies for the race. As a result of the data gathered in the preceding days, 11 drivers went for a two-stopper while eight selected a more conservative one-stop strategy.

Red Bull split the strategy for its two drivers, both of whom finished on the podium. Verstappen stopped on lap 20 to swap his starting set of P Zero Yellow medium tyres for the hard, whereas Perez stopped twice (on lap 15 and 33), running two hard stints after starting on the medium. McLaren’s Lando Norris set the fastest lap of the race on lap 44, thanks to a time of 1m28.391s using the medium. The longest hard compound stint was instead completed by AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly, totalling 43 laps after starting on the P Zero Red soft.

The alternative strategy:

The majority of the drivers started the race on the medium compound. Gasly was the only driver to start on the soft, while Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and Haas driver Kevin Magnussen opted to begin on the hard. Some teams chose to split their strategies, considering the minimal difference in overall race time between one and two stops in simulations. This was the case for Mercedes, which stopped George Russell twice (on a medium-hard-medium strategy) but Lewis Hamilton just once, who was on a long final stint using the hard tyre before retiring before the finish.

Ferrari was another team to adopt split strategies. Carlos Sainz stopped twice (medium-hard-hard), while his teammate stopped only once, going from medium to hard.

2022 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi GP Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Country	Team	Time	Points	Overall
1.	1	Max Verstappen	Netherlands	Red Bull Racing Honda	1:27:45.914	25	454
2.	16	Charles Leclerc	Monaco	Scuderia Ferrari	+8.771s	18	308
3.	11	Sergio Perez	Mexico	Red Bull Racing Honda	+10.093s	15	305
4.	55	Carlos Sainz	Spain	Scuderia Ferrari	+24.892s	12	246
5.	63	George Russell	Great Britain	Mercedes-AMG Petronas	+35.888s	10	275
6.	4	Lando Norris	Great Britain	Mclaren Racing	+56.234s	9	122
7.	31	Esteban Ocon	France	Alpine F1 Team	+57.240s	6	92
8.	18	Lance Stroll	Canada	Aston Martin F1 Team	+76.931s	4	18
9.	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Australia	McLaren Racing	+83.268s	2	37
10.	5	Sebastian Vettel	Germany	Aston Martin F1 Team	+83.898s	1	37
11.	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Japan	Scuderia AlphaTauri	+89.371s	0	12
12.	24	Zhou Guanyu	China	Alfa Romeo F1 Team	+1 lap	0	6
13.	45	Alexander Albon	Thailand	Williams Racing	+1 lap	0	4
14.	10	Pierre Gasly	France	Scuderia AlphaTauri	+1 lap	0	23
15.	77	Valtteri Bottas	Finland	Alfa Romeo F1 Team	+1 lap	0	49
16.	47	Mick Schumacher	Germany	Haas F1 Team	+1 lap	0	12
17.	20	Kevin Magnussen	Denmark	Haas F1 Team	+1 lap	0	25
18.	44	Lewis Hamilton	Great Britain	Mercedes-AMG Petronas	DNF	0	240
19.	6	Nicholas Latifi	Canada	Williams Racing	DNF	0	2
20.	14	Fernando Alonso	Spain	Alpine F1 Team	DNF	0	81

2022 Constructor Standings

Pos	Picture	Team	Points
1.		Red Bull Racing	759
1.		Scuderia Ferrari	554
3.		Mercedes-AMG F1 Team	515
4.		Alpine F1 Team	173
5.		McLaren Racing	159
6.		Alfa Romeo Racing	55
7.		Aston Martin F1 Team	55
8.		Haas F1 Team	37
9.		Scuderia AlphaTauri	35
10.		Williams Racing	8

Here are the team-by-team highlights:

Red Bull Racing

 

Max Verstappen ended his campaign with yet another dominant display as he secured his 15th victory of the season with an assured drive at the 2022 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to cap a truly remarkable year.

Having already wrapped up his second world title and helped Oracle Red Bull Racing secure the constructors’ crown, the Dutch driver showed no signs of complacency as he cruised to victory from pole position at Yas Marina Circuit.

Team-mate Sergio Pérez started the race level on points with Charles LeClerc and knew that finishing ahead of the Ferrari driver would secure second in the drivers’ championship. The Mexican pushed hard throughout the race but was unable to catch LeClerc and eventually had to settle for third in the race and in the final championship standings.

Max Verstappen

It was incredible to win here again, and to get 15 wins in total this season is unbelievable. It was a good race, the one-stop really worked for me, and it was all about tyre management today. As a Team, we did everything we could to get Checo up there ahead of Charles, we had split strategies, but it didn’t work out today. Overall, we’ve achieved a lot this year as a Team, and we can all be proud of that. It’s great motivation heading into next year. We’ve had an incredible season, and I want to thank everyone in the Team out here in Abu Dhabi and back at the factory. This sport requires dedication, and everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing has that. It’s clear to see. I’m really looking forward to a break now, and I hope everyone has a good Winter and much-needed time with family and friends.

Sergio Pérez

I am pleased because I gave it my all today. In the end, we just didn’t have enough. This is how the sport works, sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. It hurts to lose second place in the Championship by one second. There are things we could have done better but at the end of the day, what matters is that you never give up in this sport, and that is what I have done this season, on and off track, so I can go home happy. What really meant the most this season is that we gave everything, always, and we ended the final race doing just that. The Team has had a tremendous year, so it is nice to finish the season well. We will regroup and look to another strong year in 2023.

Christian Horner – Team Principal & CEO

What a season, and what a way to end it. It’s just unbelievable. Winning 17 races as a Team. Five 1-2 finishes and being so close to 1-2 in the Drivers’ Championship brings what truly has been a remarkable year to an end. It surpasses anything we have ever achieved. The drivers have been exceptional. A record-breaking 15th win this season for Max. A third straight victory in Abu Dhabi. Exemplary. Checo gave it all he had, coming so close to catching and taking Charles by the end of the race, but sadly it wasn’t to be. Third place in the Championship is still fantastic, though and brings to an end his best season ever in F1. Every season in F1 is gruelling, but it truly has been a herculean effort from everyone this season. From the campus in Milton Keynes to everyone at the track, it has been an immense Team effort. I’d also like to thank our partners who, without their support, none of this would be possible.

When we reflect on this season, there have been some epic highs and equally sobering lows, but we look back on 2022 as a season like no other, one in which we lost our founder Dietrich Mateschitz. F1 was his passion, his love. We dedicate everything we have achieved this season and the two World Championships to him. Danke Didi.

Red Bull Racing Honda best pictures:

Scuderia Ferrari

 

Scuderia Ferrari came to Yas Marina with two outstanding matters to settle: finishing second in the Constructors’ and the Drivers’ championships. The missions were successfully completed thanks to strong performances from Charles Leclerc, who finished second in today’s race ahead of Sergio Perez, his only rival for the runner-up spot in the points, and Carlos Sainz, who drove an aggressive two-stop race on his way to a fourth-place finish which brought him enough points to claim fifth place in the drivers’ standings.

Different choices. At the start, Charles comfortably maintained third place behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, which meant he could concentrate on tyre management from that point on. Carlos lost a place at the start, having to fight with Lewis Hamilton to win it back, which meant he had to push his Medium tyres that bit harder. Because Leclerc’s tyres were degrading less than expected, and as Perez pitted early, the team decided to go for a one-stop strategy for the Monegasque, which meant the Mexican had to chase Leclerc now. Meanwhile, Carlos stuck to the strategy choice favoured by most of the pack, with two stops, both times taking on Hard tyres and then attacking. In the race’s second half, the Spaniard managed to make up places, getting close to the podium positions. Charles constantly ran to look after his Hard tyres while keeping ahead of Perez, who never got close enough to try and pass.

Summary. Scuderia Ferrari thus finishes the season on 554 points (230.5 more than in 2021.) It is second in the Constructors’ championship with four wins (none in 2021), three courtesy of Charles in Bahrain, Australia and Austria, and one with Carlos in Great Britain. There were also 12 pole positions, ten more than last year and more than any other team and a further 16 podium finishes, eleven more than last year.

Carlos Sainz #55

It was a solid race today. The start wasn’t clean but I managed to pull a nice overtake on the Mercedes at turn 6. Unfortunately, I lost time and tyre life behind Lewis, and from then onwards, we committed to the two-stop strategy. Overall, it was a strong performance, with good teamwork to finish P2 with Charles in the drivers’ championship and P2 in the constructors’ championship, which was our target this weekend.

It hasn’t been an easy season, especially the first half, but I’ve managed to recover the pace, and my feeling with the car improved in the second half. Even though we’ve only just finished the season, we are fully focused and motivated to push this winter, and I am already looking forward to next year.

Thank you to every single member of the team for your tremendous effort and determination and to every Tifosi out there for your incredible support! Bring on 2023! Forza Ferrari!

Charles Leclerc #16

It was a good race. We executed it perfectly and, as we didn’t have the pure pace to beat our competitors, put pressure on them in the key moments, which paid off. It was a season full of ups and downs, but considering where we came from, we made a good step and can be satisfied with our progress.

I want to thank the whole team, both back home at the factory and at the track, for all their hard work and dedication. P2 in the Constructors means a lot, and we don’t want to stop here. We must keep our heads down and push as hard as we can this winter, aiming to win the title next year.

Mattia Binotto, Team Principal & Managing Director

Second place in the Constructors’ and Drivers’ championships is down to all the hard work over the course of the season. This has been an important year in which we had set ourselves the goal of returning to being competitive and succeeding. However, we know if we want to win the titles, there is still much work to do.

I congratulate the entire team, drivers, engineers, and mechanics, here in Abu Dhabi and all those back home in Maranello because they could stay focussed on our goals for this weekend. The season had its difficult moments, but overall it has been significant. We can put 2022 behind us, knowing that we made a lot of progress, and from Tuesday, we will start preparing for the new challenge that awaits us in 2023. I want to thank our fans for their unwavering support this season. Thank you to Sebastian for everything he has given to Formula 1 and Ferrari.

Scuderia Ferrari best pictures:

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

 

The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team finished the season with George in P5 and a DNF for Lewis three laps before the finish under the lights of the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

George finished P5, fighting his way back from a five-second penalty following an unsafe release after his first pit stop in lap 15.
Lewis had to retire his car on lap 55, owing to a loss in hydraulic pressure and subsequent failure with the loss of gearshift.

The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team concludes the season in P3 in the Constructor’s Championship, 39 points behind Ferrari in P2.

The post-season test on Tuesday will see Lewis and George split the running of one car focusing on the 2023 tyre testing programme, while Frederik Vesti, F2 driver and Mercedes-AMG F1 junior, will fulfil the team’s young driver programme, focusing on W13 familiarisation.

Lewis Hamilton

This last race was just a good reminder of the whole year, and I’m glad it’s over and that we can now look forward to next year. I had a strong start, but the car floor took a big hit during the contact with Carlos, and everything else unfolded from there. When it happens, you lose a little bit of performance, but the balance shifts forward. It’s almost like you have loads of front wing, and I had to wait for the stop to take out the front wing – which did improve the balance. We had a difficult car all weekend, and unfortunately, I had to retire right before the race finished because we lost hydraulic pressure. We will have the next couple of weeks at the factory, where we will work hard to make sure we can come back stronger next year, so we will focus on that. I hope that the struggle this year will provide us with the strength and the tools to fight for more victories in the future – the team in Brackley and Brixworth deserve it, given how hard they’ve worked all year. So, we continue to get up and try – we need to show our strength this winter and into next season.

George Russell

This could have almost been a memorable race, but we probably got more wrong than right today. We didn’t have the pace this weekend and tried as hard as we could, but this was actually one of the toughest races of the season for us. It’s a shame how the race panned out for me – I had a strong start fighting Carlos, but the long first pit stop and the five-second penalty meant the race was over for me. This race brought us back to reality after our high in Brazil at a track that suited our car much better. Today simply highlighted what we already knew: that we have many improvements to make during the winter. Everyone in the team in Brackley and Brixworth is pushing as hard as possible, and we’re headed in the right direction. And we are confident we will have a stronger car next year.

Toto Wolff

Today we really didn’t perform well. We did all the mistakes we could have made tonight: we didn’t have the pace, one driver broke down, and the other one ran out of tyres – it’s a good summary of the challenges this season. We cooked the tyres in the first few laps because we attacked. The car seemed strong at the start, but then the front right just gave out and maybe that’s something we should’ve predicted. We knew that Abu Dhabi would be a difficult one for us, so at least that prediction was accurate, but unfortunately, we made mistakes we could’ve avoided. This was a character-building season for us, and we will put this car on display in the factory as a reminder. We had more bad moments than good ones, but the good ones were spectacular, like a week ago in Brazil, which reminded us how good it could be. It’s okay how we feel right now, but we’re pushing hard to be back next year!

Mercedes-AMG F1 Team best pictures:

McLaren Racing

 

Hear from McLaren Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo, and Team Principal Andreas Seidl after the 2022 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

After lights out, Lando has a good launch, gaining one position. Daniel drops one to P14. Lando is passed by Russell for P7. Lando pits for Hard tyres, responding to Ocon’s pit stop. Daniel follows suit a few laps later, fitting the Hard tyres. He comes out in P18. Lando slots back into P7, overtaking Vettel. Daniel fights his way back up to P11, overtaking Zhou, Albon, and Tsunoda. The second pit-stop round begins, with Lando boxing for a fresh set of Medium tyres. Lando slots back into P7, with Daniel in P9. The fastest lap of the race is set by Lando with 1:28.391. Daniel is passed by Stroll but holds off strong pressure from Vettel. Hamilton retires. The chequered flag waves, with Lando in P6 and Daniel in P9.

Lando Norris

P6 and the fastest lap are the perfect way to end a season. It was a tough race, I wasn’t far away from getting overtaken at the end, but we timed it well. We’ve always struggled a bit more with degradation, especially on a front-limited circuit compared to other teams, so we knew this would be tough. I tried to build a good gap, knowing this would be the case, and we ended with a P6 and a P9 for Daniel. A good double-points finish and a perfect way to end the season, motivate the team and end with some good points. I’m very happy. The team did a great job.

Daniel Ricciardo

I’m really pleased to get some points in my last race for McLaren. I felt like I did the best I could with the pace I had. I was struggling to keep the front tyres alive. That was the biggest limitation. That’s where it got a bit tricky. I felt in terms of moves. I defended when I could and overtook when I could, so from that point of view, I’m pretty pleased. Vettel caught me quite quickly in the end, and trying to hold him off, I think I killed the tyres a bit, but I am happy to have held on and got the points. It was a good end to the season.

Big thanks to the whole team – they also put a nice message on the dash after the race, so that was cool. Appreciate that. We’ve had some highs and some lows, but throughout it all, I’ve enjoyed my time here racing alongside Lando and hopefully doing McLaren proud. Thank you to everyone who has supported me so far, the papaya army and everyone both trackside and back in Woking – I can’t thank you enough. It may have been my last race for McLaren, but I’m looking forward to what comes next. I wish the team the very best for next season.

Andreas Seidl

This was a nice way to finish a long, tough season. The team pulled it off today with a double-point finish at the Yas Marina Circuit, three excellent pit stops and the fastest lap. It was a well-executed race, with P6 for Lando and P9 for Daniel representing a good return for a lot of hard work. The fastest lap for Lando is a nice reward, while Daniel put in a great defensive drive at the end to hold onto his position. We say goodbye to him now after a drive that exemplifies his unflagging enthusiasm and determination this year.

We finish the season P5 in the Constructors’ Championship. It is a fair reflection of our overall performance as a team this year. We definitely had some challenges to overcome. At the same time, we had many positives, including the podium in Imola, and we learned a lot to become a better team next season. We start with the preparation for the next season tonight, getting ready for the young driver test with Lando and Oscar on Tuesday.

Finally, after a long and exciting season of Formula 1, I’d like to thank the entire McLaren team, both at the track and at the factory, for their constant dedication, support and commitment. Also, to Oliver Turvey and Will Stevens, our fantastic simulator and development drivers, for their support from MTC.

Mercedes HPP has been a fundamental partner to our team this year, and we thank both the team embedded within the McLaren race team and back at Brixworth for their support. We also thank Pirelli for their hard work, collaboration and development, which has been so vital to the success of our sport. To the FIA, the race directors and stewards, whose hard work enables us to go racing safely, and to Formula 1, who have organised a spectacular 22-race season, putting on excellent events for fans, we also send our sincere thanks.

To our incredible fans, whose support has been felt everywhere we race, it’s been fantastic having you back on track at every event. After two years of restrictions in 2020 and 2021, getting back to normal in 2022 has reminded us just how passionate our fan base is, and we work every weekend to try and score the best possible results for you. To our fantastic partners, without your support, we simply wouldn’t be able to go racing, and we’re delighted to have you with us on this journey. Whether at the track or from afar, we’ve always felt your support, and we look forward to continuing and building our relationships into the new year.

Final thanks go to Lando and Daniel for their hard work, positive attitude and dedication to serving the team. Coming into a new era of regulations represents a challenge for the entire team, but the feedback provided by both of them has been crucial to bettering our understanding of these cars and puts us in a strong position to make progress next year. Lando’s consistency and performances, including his podium in Imola, have been fantastic to see, and we’re delighted to see him continue to develop with the team.

We also thank Daniel for his unwavering commitment and support over the past two seasons. Daniel is a fantastic character and a true team player. Daniel delivered us our first win since 2012 and our first 1-2 since 2011. For that and his impeccable attitude throughout his time with the team, we will always be grateful. We wish him happiness and good luck with the next chapter of his journey.

McLaren Racing best pictures:

Alpine F1 Team

 

BWT Alpine F1 Team clinched fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship after Esteban Ocon claimed six points from today’s season-ending 2022 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Team-mate Fernando Alonso, in his final race for the team, unfortunately, retired from the race.

The team ends the year on 173 points, with Esteban on 92 points to take eighth place in the Drivers’ Championship and Fernando on 81 points to finish in ninth.

The strategy proved the key in today’s 58-lap race with tough decisions throughout the field in opting for a one-stop or two-stop plan. After Fernando’s retirement for a suspected water leak on lap 27, Esteban committed to a two-stop, pitting on laps 14 and 41 for Hard tyres. In the end, Esteban narrowly missed out on pipping Lando Norris, crossing the line just one second behind his McLaren rival.

The team scored eleven double top-ten finishes throughout the 2022 season, with Esteban’s best result of fourth place at the Japanese Grand Prix. In addition, the team’s 173 points is an improvement of 18 points from its 2021 campaign as it continues its upwards trajectory on the 100-place plan.

Fernando Alonso

Unfortunately, it’s another retirement for us today after we fought for the points and looked quite comfortable. Importantly the team finished fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, which was the goal coming into this weekend, so well done to everyone in the team on achieving this target. Even though it’s a goodbye to the team after this weekend, I will always think of Alpine with good memories. I spent nine years of my life with this team and won two championships in the past with Renault, so I wish them well in the future.

Esteban Ocon

I would like to say a massive congratulations to the whole team, here trackside and at the factories in Enstone and Viry, for claiming fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship. It’s been a long and intense season, and it feels good to have reached our goal at the beginning of the year. On my side, it is the best point finish of my career, which is very satisfying. In terms of today’s race, seventh place is a great result, and with one more lap, it could have been sixth as I was catching Lando [Norris] at the end. I have enjoyed the last couple of years with Fernando, and I wish him all the best for next year. He will always be a legend of this team and of the sport, and I look forward to racing him on track next season. Now it’s time for a break before getting back to work to prepare for next year.

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal

Firstly, congratulations to all at the BWT Alpine F1 Team on this fantastic achievement of securing fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship. This was our target at the start of the year, and we certainly deserve it after regularly showing a strong level of competitiveness to pick up frequent points at most races. This is all credit to the entire team across Viry and Enstone, who have done a marvellous job of delivering a fast race car. Of course, we’ve had some high moments and some low ones, but these experiences are all part of our journey, and we will continue to learn, develop and grow as a team. I’d like to extend a message of thanks to Fernando for his efforts throughout the campaign and for delivering some performances that we’ll all remember forever. We wish Fernando the best for his future. Well done to Esteban on achieving the joint-best finish of his career in the Drivers’ Championship, and we look forward to seeing what he can do next year. Right now, the entire team deserves some time off after a long season, and I’m sure we’ll return in 2023 feeling fresh and determined to go again and continue meeting our objectives.

Alpine F1 Team best pictures:

Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN

 

Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN reached the promised land as it clinched sixth place in the constructors’ championship. A successful season came to an end in a race that yielded no points, but in which every team effort was directed in securing the team’s season target.

55 points is the team’s final tally, one that secures the team’s best standings position in a decade. It is a result that is testament to the efforts of everyone in the company, trackside and in Hinwil, as the scenes of celebration in front of the team’s garage attested.

Valtteri Bottas (car number 77)

I am really pleased for the team, it’s an important result, and you can see what it means for everyone. It was very close in our battle for sixth in the championship, but we did it, and I am proud of everyone tonight. The only thing that mattered to us today was the results of the standing, and the strategy we chose was quite defensive, trying to hold position and slow down our rivals when we found ourselves in front of them. It worked, but it was a tense few moments in the final lap: waiting to hear if we had made it gave me a bit of a sense of déjà vu – although tonight we had a much more positive ending than last time around. I am proud that the team has come a long way since winter testing: we scored many points at the beginning of the year, and those results made all the difference at the end of the season. The spirit in the team is excellent. We can be proud of our work, which will help us continue our progression next year. There’s plenty to look forward to.

Zhou Guanyu (car number 24)

I am so proud of this team, not just for tonight but for the whole season. We gave everything in the race and, despite not scoring points, achieved our target: finishing P6 in the Championship. We had to sacrifice my strategy to hold on through the last laps, and I think we did a good job with that. We truly gave it all out there, it was an amazing fight on track, and the best overtake I’ve done all season. We got what we deserved after such a long year. It’s been an amazing rookie season, we started high, and it’s good to see we finished on a high as well. Of course, it hasn’t always gone as we hoped for, we had quite a few reliability issues, but I’m positive we’ll get it all fixed over the winter and have a much better season next year. Overall, I really enjoyed my first Formula One season, with all the support from my team, my teammate Valtteri, and all the fans. I am grateful for all this, and I can’t wait for the next one.

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal

Tonight is the crowning of an incredible job by everyone in the team, both trackside and in Hinwil. Finishing in P6 in the championship surpasses our expectations and the targets we had set at the beginning of the season, so we can thoroughly say that this season was a success: I am proud of what we have achieved, but this is just another starting point on which we want to build. Tonight’s race was just about the championship result: we knew that starting from far back, scoring points on our own would have been hard, but we could work as a team and make strategic decisions to make the fight for P6 lean in our direction. In the end, it turned out a bit more tense than we would have hoped after Hamilton’s retirement, and the last few laps were a nail-biting affair! But we brought it home, this is what matters, and you can see what it really means to all of us.

Alfa Romeo F1 Team best pictures:

Haas F1 Team

 

Haas F1 Team finished its season with Mick Schumacher 16th and Kevin Magnussen 17th at the 2022 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, held Sunday at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Schumacher started from 12th place on Pirelli P Zero Yellow medium tires and maintained a position on the opening lap before coming in on lap 14 for White hard tires. Schumacher executed a two-stop strategy, boxing once more for mediums on lap 35, but his prospects were compromised by a collision with Williams driver Nicholas Latifi. Schumacher eventually came home 16th at the checkered.

Magnussen took the start from 16th on hard tires and, after gaining one spot on the opening lap, slipped back behind opponents on softer rubber. Magnussen briefly moved into the top 10 through the pit stop cycles before he made his sole pit for mediums on lap 28. Magnussen completed the race in 17th position.

Up front, World Champion Max Verstappen cruised to a record-extending 15th victory of the season ahead of Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez.

Haas F1 Team finishes the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, sitting eighth in the Constructors’ Championship with a season total of 37 points, the third-highest in its history.

The Haas F1 Team will be back in action for post-season testing at the Yas Marina Circuit on November 22. Nico Hülkenberg and reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi will drive the VF-22s, with Hülkenberg undertaking the Pirelli tire test and Fittipaldi fulfilling young driver duties.

Kevin Magnussen, Driver No. 20

P8 was the most important thing, of course. We didn’t really have a great chance to do much today but at least eighth stuck and that’s a good thing for developing over the winter and just a nice step to take forward from the last two years that Haas has had. It’s a nice place to build from, and I’m looking forward to next year.

Mick Schumacher, Driver No. 47

We didn’t quite have the pace today, one lap pace was there yesterday, but we knew it would be tough to stay in position. We were hoping for a bit more, but in the end, we kept eighth in the Constructors’ Championship, which was the focus. I’m happy for the team as it means a totally different budget, and I’m sure they’ll be able to use it.

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team

We finished the Constructors’ Championship in P8, which this morning was the objective. That’s what we did. We battled all year long through a rollercoaster of ups and downs, but in the end, we ended up going forward in the championship, which is important, and the aim for next year is to make the next step. The race today was not what we wanted, but finishing eighth overshadowed everything.

Haas F1 Team best pictures:

Scuderia AlphaTauri

 

Scuderia AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda narrowly missed out on the points as he finished in 11th place, while team-mate Pierre Gasly – who will be replaced by Dutchman Nyck de Vries next season – was 14th in his final race for the team.

Pierre Gasly

I don’t have many things to say about the race, we tried something different today, but it didn’t seem to work. It was my last with Scuderia AlphaTauri, and sadly tonight didn’t reflect our time together. I will remember everything I have experienced with the team over the years: my first race in Formula 1, first podium and first win. I know that I am a better driver today because of them, and I am so grateful for all these achievements. I want to say a massive thank you to everyone I’ve worked with. They’ve all done a tremendous job. We’ve had three amazing podiums, and now it’s time to celebrate these unforgettable memories together.

Yuki Tsunoda

I did the best I could out there today, so I have to be pleased with that. Unfortunately, the tyre just dropped off at the end, and I couldn’t keep up the pace and make it to the points. It’s been a tough year for the team, but on the positive side, I’ve learnt a lot, especially from Pierre. It’s been a pleasure to work with him over the last two years, and I want to thank him for everything he’s done for the team and me.

JONATHAN EDDOLLS – Chief Race Engineer

Yuki put in a solid and consistent race today, fighting for the final points positions. Unfortunately, the timing of the last stop from Albon forced us onto the soft tyre a bit earlier than planned. This compound did not quite have enough left in it to keep the pressure up on Vettel and Ricciardo for a top-10 finish. Starting Pierre on the soft tyre was aggressive, but given he qualified out of position, we felt we had to take a risk to try and move forward quickly. This tyre actually performed reasonably well, meaning he was boxing in phase with the cars around him. Whilst Pierre was outside the points. We extended the middle stint to see if any opportunity to take on the new tyre late would come around. However, this was not the case, and although we got him ahead of the Haas cars, we could not move him further forward towards the points. It’s been a long season, and unfortunately, we have not been able to deliver the level of performance of the previous two years in 2022, but the entire team is totally focused on addressing this for next year. Finally, on behalf of the team, I would like to thank Pierre for his hard work and dedication, he has been an important part of our success in recent seasons, and we wish him well in 2023.

Scuderia AlphaTauri Team best pictures:

Aston Martin Formula One Team

 

Lance fought hard throughout the race to pick up an eighth-place finish, while Sebastian battled with some of the fiercest rivals throughout his legendary career to secure a championship point in his final Grand Prix.

Lance Stroll

We had a competitive race with a good strategy today to round out the year. I am happy with the performance and the result: it was a great team effort.

It was a shame not to pass Alfa Romeo in the Constructors’ World Championship at the end. We gave it everything we could as the races ticked by, and we were so close to jumping them today.

The team here at the track and back at Silverstone did a really good job throughout the year to help us get much more out of the car in the second half of the season.

We were able to fight for points on a much more regular basis recently, and that progress is good preparation for next year.

Sebastian Vettel

I enjoyed the race this evening, but it was a shame that we could not quite get past Daniel [Ricciardo] at the end. The lead-up to the race was slightly different, with so many tributes and activities on the grid, but once the lights went out, it was full-on race mode.

It was not an easy race because it was a close call between a one-stop and two-stop strategy. In my car, we tried to make the one-stop work, but as the tyres got older, it was quite challenging to hold on. It was nice to fight the last couple of laps with Daniel and have us both finishing in the points, but we missed out on moving up a place in the Constructors’ World Championship.

Overall, it has been a big and emotional weekend, so thank you to everybody for all the support. Seeing so many flags and so many smiling faces has been very, very special. I am sure I will miss it more than I understand right now. The past two years have been great for me personally, so thank you for all the support – all the messages, the letters and all the love in general. I will miss that, but it has been an absolute joy throughout my career, so thank you all again.

Mike Krack, Team Principal

On behalf of all at Aston Martin, I want to pay tribute to Sebastian, who drove his last Formula One Grand Prix this evening. One of our sport’s all-time greats – his four World Championships and 53 Grand Prix wins attest to that.

He has been a brilliant driver for us this year and last, and his excellent qualifying lap yesterday and his combative race drive to P10 today showed that he has bowed out at the peak of his form. We will miss him.

As for Lance, today he drove a strong race to P8. The five points we scored here in Abu Dhabi lifted our total to 55: not quite enough to wrest sixth place in the Constructors’ World Championship from Alfa Romeo, whose points total we drew level with because they stayed ahead of us on countback.

Last but very far from least, I would like to say congratulations and thank you to all our staff – at the races and back at Silverstone – who worked incredibly hard all year. Next year we are determined to do better.

Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team best pictures:

Williams Racing

 

I’m thrilled with my race today, and I think with such a strong start. Getting passed four or five cars in those first laps, it was great. There were moments in the race where we kept hitting a degradation point and would get to 15 laps and then suffer a loss of performance, so we were forced to pit quite early. We did fall short at the end finishing on worn tyres, but I think starting P19 and finishing P13 is a good job, so I’m delighted.

This year has been a massive team effort, and we’ve done our best in maximising the car. We haven’t had the easiest car to drive, which is no secret, but I’m really proud of everyone. We know our weaknesses, and we’ve maximised our opportunities when we were struggling, and when the car was in a decent window, that’s when we scored points. This puts us in a good place for when we have a better car next year. All in all, thanks to everyone in the team for all their efforts this year.

Nicholas Latifi

The incident with Mick [Schumacher] really put us out, and then we suffered an electrical issue that forced us to retire. It’s not how I wanted to end my last one, but it is what it is. I’m very grateful for the three years I’ve had with Williams in Formula 1.

I’m leaving the sport feeling like I want to achieve and accomplish more. However, it doesn’t always work out like that in motorsports. Along the way, there’s been highs and lows with many strong bonds and friendships that I’ll cherish.

Jost Capito, CEO and Team Principal

I’d like to say a huge thank you to every team member, both at the track and back at the factory. It’s been an intense, challenging year and each person put in maximum effort. We can be proud of our progress during the year and the points-scoring results we achieved on pace and merit.

Of course, the tenth is never where we want to be in the championship, and our focus is fully on progressing in 2023. We go straight onto the young driver’s test here in Abu Dhabi, so there is no rest for the team quite yet, and we look forward to having a productive day on Tuesday.

Finally, I’d like to thank Nicholas for his three years of racing with the team. He’s a much-loved member of the team and will always remain a member of the Williams family – we wish him all the very best of luck for his future.

Williams F1 Team best pictures: