The race was, in a sense, a fitting end to what was the longest season in Formula One’s 72-year history. Verstappen’s dominance cannot be overstated, as he made 2022 the most successful season of all time, taking 15 wins and finishing on the podium in all but five races. He showed his class again at the season finale, flying away from the start and going largely unchallenged for the duration of the race.
Drama unfolded behind him, however, as Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz touched on the opening lap, sending Hamilton bouncing over the sausage kerbs and eventually retiring with a hydraulic failure. Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate George Russell also had a rough go of things, facing a five second penalty for unsafe release following a slow pitstop, though the Briton still managed to recover to a fifth place finish.
Fernando Alonso suffered yet another mechanical failure DNF, marking his fifth retirement of the season. The two-time world champion is set to move to Aston Martin for 2023, and he will surely be happy to see the back of the Enstone Team once and for all.
As with most F1 finales, Abu Dhabi 2022 came with the sad knowledge that fans, teams, and drivers would have to say their final goodbyes to those drivers not lucky enough to return to the grid in 2023. The retiring Sebastian Vettel and out of favour Daniel Ricciardo will both be sorely missed in the paddock. Ricciardo’s characteristic jokey antics and distinctive laugh have become synonymous with Formula One in the years since his debut, and fans worldwide will hope that a year on the sidelines as Red Bull’s reserve driver will see him reignite his former glory and return to a race seat in 2024.
The same can be said for Sebastian Vettel, one of the sport’s all-time legends. The four-time World Champion debuted in F1 in 2006, amassing 53 race wins, 57 pole positions, and 3098 points over the course of his incredible career. It is unclear what the future will hold for Vettel, as he has hinted at a return to racing in an administrative role and a focus on climate activism, which had become a priority for him in recent seasons.
Also departing are Mick Schumacher and Nicholas Latifi, who marked the occasion by punting one another into the barriers in the closing stages of the race. Both drivers struggled to find their feet in F1, never getting much of a chance to make a mark in the sport. While Latifi seems set to move to Indycar, Schumacher’s future is uncertain, but a potential move to Mercedes as a reserve driver seems possible.
