The mood around this season’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is quite different than before. Last year, we witnessed the dramatic finale of the Formula 1 championship battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, but a lot has changed since then.
This season, Max Verstappen already confirmed his second consecutive title back in the Japanese Grand Prix plus he won two more in the US and Mexico.
However, there’s still plenty to play for when the drivers convene once more at the Yas Marina circuit since the battle for second is one of the main backdrops of this race, as well as the forthcoming farewell of some of our favorite drivers.
SBOTOP is here to bring to you the latest Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2022 updates as we wind down the 2022 Formula 1 season.
Leclerc and Perez in pole for second, but don’t overlook Mercedes duo
Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez, and George Russell are entangled in a duel for runner-up honours, while Lewis Hamilton is a distant contender.
Leclerc and Perez are level at 290 points, but the former is ranked ahead of the latter since he has more wins this season. Russell is ranked third with 265 points, while Hamilton is fourth at 240.
Right now, the momentum is on the Mercedes drivers following their impressive 1-2 performance in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, as Russell celebrated his maiden Grand Prix victory while Hamilton finished P2 for the third successive race.
Red Bull, meanwhile, were disappointing in Brazil as Verstappen and Perez finished at P6 and P7 respectively. And there was some real drama on their end as Verstappen defied team orders to let Perez pass in a bid to improve his chances of winning second in the drivers’ standings.
Verstappen later mentioned that they’ve put the team orders controversy behind them, with Perez adding that he feels “great” about his relationship with his Red Bull teammate.
As for Leclerc, finishing at P2 at the end of this season would be a suitable reward for him after “two difficult years” at Ferrari.
“It will be good to be back fighting at the top, even though our goal is to fight for the championship eventually. But after these two difficult years, it will be good to be second,” said Leclerc.
Vettel is not the only one saying goodbye
Several drivers are bidding goodbye to the F1 paddock for what could be the final Grand Prix of their racing careers. Sebastian Vettel is officially retiring, while Daniel Ricciardo, Mick Schumacher, and Nicholas Latifi don’t have seats for the 2023 season.
Vettel is hanging it up for good after 15 years. He won four straight Formula 1 titles from 2010 to 2013 with Red Bull, and his 53 career Grand Prix victories are the third-most all-time. The entire Formula 1 field recently held a dinner with him to celebrate his retirement.
Daniel Ricciardo is still hopeful that he can find a new home for next season, and he’s not treating Abu Dhabi as his final race. Nicholas Latifi and Mick Schumacher, meanwhile, were recently replaced by Logan Sargeant and Nico Hulkenburg at Williams and Haas respectively.
History
Max Verstappen won the last two editions of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Prior to 2020, Mercedes have been dominant in this track with six consecutive victories from 2014 to 2019.
Lewis Hamilton was responsible for four of those wins, while Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas were the other Mercedes drivers who have also won here.
Last year’s event was marred with controversy as race director Michael Masi contravened Formula 1 regulations with his handling of the late Safety Car, which eventually led to Max Verstappen winning his first Formula 1 title and Lewis Hamilton missing out on what could’ve been his record-breaking eighth.
Masi was sacked after botching the conclusion of the race. Following the debacle, FIA released their report, saying that the controversy over the season finale was down to “human error” but that the results remain “valid”.
What are the odds?
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2022 odds are favouring Max Verstappen to win despite the fact that he has not much incentive to go all-out on this one. The reigning Formula 1 champion is priced high at 1.45 in the 1X2 market.
Meanwhile, the two other podium spots are up for grabs since Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc, and George Russell are installed at 1.65, 1.75 and 1.97 respectively, whereas Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz Jr. shouldn’t be counted off since they’re pegged at 2.20 at 2.36.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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