The first laps of the Formula 1 season started in the desert, so aptly enough, the final 58 laps of this year’s campaign will transpire in the parched oasis of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Red Bull may have already clinched the championship and extended their reign in Formula 1 since the Japanese Grand Prix, but there is still a lot on the line for rival teams on the grid.
This season has been a wild ride for every driver not named Max Verstappen and every team not named Red Bull, as the battle for placements in the standings are neck and neck, and the culminating race in Abu Dhabi can and will put everyone’s season-long efforts into actualization.
Talking Points
Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS vs Scuderia Ferrari
All eyes are on Scuderia and the Silver Arrows as they headline the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2023 news and storylines. These rivals are separated by just four points in the constructors’ standings, but it wasn’t this close for most parts of the season. Just a few races ago, Merc’s lead over Scuderia reached up to 56 points, but a late surge by Ferrari and a few Leclerc poles got them closer and closer to the Silver Arrows.
Red Bull already bagged the championship during the Japanese Grand Prix, but rival teams are still hungry to put up points on the board to secure the second spot. Of course, every team in Formula 1, especially teams with competitive cars, aspires to finish the season as the world champions. But in Mercedes and Ferrari’s case, finishing second compared to third goes a long way due to the hefty additional prize money, which is thought to be around $10 million.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix provides multiple notable head-to-heads as a handful of teams are poised to overtake rivals in the standings. Lando Norris and the rest of McLaren will try to fend off Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin from overtaking them for fourth. Aston Martin had a strong outing in Las Vegas, where they finished fifth and ninth, while McLaren had a weekend to forget. Due to Aston Martin’s late run, they are now in striking range to finish fourth this season. McLaren currently have an 11-point cushion above Aston Martin.
Meanwhile, at the bottom half of the table, AlphaTauri would be trying their luck to pass Williams for seventh place. Williams Racing are primed to finish this season in seventh place, their best placing since 2017, back when Felipe Massa was their top driver. They have a seven-point lead ahead of AlphaTauri, who are hungry for a strong finish this season, especially because it will be Franz Tost’s last race for the team and in the sport.
The bottom-three teams in F1 should have an eventful last race of the season, as the last-placed Haas are just four points below Valtteri and Zhou. Alfa Romeo have a chance to advance in the standings as well, with just five points separating them from eighth-placed AlphaTauri.
Franz Tost’s last dance
The sport will bid farewell to one of its most beloved icons, Franz Tost. After 18 years, the AlphaTauri team principal will walk away from the sport after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The 67-year-old Austrian has his fingerprints on the development of multiple successful drivers in Formula 1. Notable names like Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, and Daniel Ricciardo were among the household names that were blessed with the guidance of Tost.
“Franz has been a constant presence. It’s always been a pleasure to work with him, and you have to admire his dedication and will to win, which is as strong today as it was when I first started with the team back in 2012,” Ricciardo recalled.
Tost’s current acolyte, Yuki Tsunoda, added, “Without him, I wouldn’t be racing here, and without his advice, I wouldn’t have made as much progress as I have. Hopefully, we can finish on a good note, end the season the way we want, and be able to put a smile on his face,”
It’s apparent that Franz will be missed, and his mere absence at the paddock will surely be noticed. His impact on the sport will forever be glorified, and he will always be one of the greatest teachers in Formula 1.
History
Mercedes, specifically Lewis Hamilton, has been dominant in Abu Dhabi for almost a decade, spanning from 2011 to 2019. Hamilton is the winningest driver at the Tas Marina Circuit, having won five times since the track’s inception in 2009.
This track is a playground for the greats of the sport, given that only a small and elite group of drivers have won in Abu Dhabi. Vettel, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Bottas, and Verstappen are the only drivers to find success at Tas Marina. But this year, given that Scuderia and Mercedes have a lot on the line for this race, we may just be able to see Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, or George Russell take the podium and add to the prestigious list of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix winners.
What are the odds?
None other than Max Verstappen is the Abu Dhabi 2023 odds favourite to be the first to pass the checkered flag after 58 laps. No surprises here. As long as Verstappen is driving that rocket ship Red Bull Racing managed to construct, he should be the favourite driver in any race. The main lines have Mad Max as the heavy favourite at 1.30, while literally any other driver is the underdog at 3.08.
Drivers having DFS are unfortunately becoming a trend for the past few races; in turn, SBOTOP offers an interesting line that holds over/unders on 1st Lap Retirements. Like injuries in other sports, DNF’s force drivers and their cars to retire early from the event. We should have a clearer idea of the chances of DNFs as the race week progresses.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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