Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Editor’s Top/Flop

The editor’s highlights after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Ferrari, finally a good strategy

In Abu Dhabi, Ferrari saved the day of a season that went from dream to nightmare for Charles Leclerc and the Scuderia as a whole. While the team made numerous strategic errors throughout the year, they finally proved that they could make good decisions. The Monegasque driver took the upper hand over Sergio Pérez, who had started second on the grid, and managed to maintain his advantage over the Mexican thanks to a fake pit stop by Ferrari, confusing the situation at Red Bull.

Thanks to this strategy of the single pit stop and good tire management, the Ferrari driver finished in second position in the race and, more importantly, in the World Championship, three points ahead of his rival, even though the latter arrived in Yas Marina with a one-point advantage. It’s great for the team, great for the strategists (…) We definitely did a good job. The fake pit stop on the Red Bull was the right decision. When Ferrari makes mistakes, there are always a lot of criticisms, but we also know that these guys can do very well, praised Scuderia boss Mattia Binotto, who is rumored to be on the chopping block.

Sebastian Vettel in the points for his last race.

Despite a questionable pit strategy from Aston Martin, Sebastian Vettel was able to finish in the points for his final Formula 1 race, largely thanks to Lewis Hamilton’s retirement towards the end of the race. He crossed the line in tenth position, behind Daniel Ricciardo who also scored points in his final race for now. The German driver could have even finished sixth if he had benefited from a better tire strategy. Nevertheless, Sebastian Vettel had a solid last weekend – okay, we’ll stop with the “lasts” – and was voted Driver of the Day in Abu Dhabi. This was the tenth time Vettel finished in the points this year, while he ends the season with double the points of his teammate Lance Stroll.

Esteban Ocon confirms Alpine’s 4th place.

Esteban Ocon finished in seventh position on the finish line in Abu Dhabi, solidifying Alpine’s fourth place in the constructors’ championship ahead of McLaren. The Frenchman delivered a solid race after his impressive eighth place in qualifying on Saturday. It is worth noting that his P7 was his best result in six starts at Yas Marina and the 16th time he scored points in 22 races, thereby matching his best end-of-year ranking, finishing in eighth place (92 points).

The flops of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The reliability of Alpine

Despite Ocon’s great race, Alpine once again suffered from its lack of reliability in Abu Dhabi, forcing Fernando Alonso to retire due to a water leak. It was the sixth retirement of the season for the Spaniard, while his teammate had two race retirements. “Unfortunately, another engine problem,” Alonso told the media after the race. “That’s the summary of the year, unfortunately, these things always happen on car #14. So, one more. I’m glad it’s over,” he added, already eager to start with Aston Martin today. Alpine’s failures cost the team approximately 70 points throughout the season.

Mercedes’ strategy with Hamilton

On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton has often suffered from strategic mistakes on the part of Mercedes this season, in comparison to his teammate George Russell, who has been relatively spared. The seven-time world champion complained on the radio about his team’s tire strategy before ultimately retiring from the race, as his gearbox got stuck at a reduced speed, with his team suspecting a hydraulic issue. The British driver must now be relieved to leave the W13 and this winless season behind him.

The lack of respect from Haas towards Mick Schumacher.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw another driver bid farewell – at least temporarily – to F1: Mick Schumacher. The German found himself ejected from Haas after a season marked by numerous accidents and failed to secure a seat with another team. While some consider that the American team has treated Mick Schumacher unfairly this season, who has shown improvement compared to 2021, there was a near lack of respect at Yas Marina at the end of the race. The German, still on track after crossing the finish line, starts doing a few donuts to say goodbye to the sport. His engineer then asks him on the radio to stop doing donuts, without explanation. Mick Schumacher replies, “I love you too.” A very sad way to bid farewell…