An intense conclusion as Charles Leclerc made every effort to prevent George Russell and Lewis Hamilton from winning
Mercedes and Ferrari produce thrilling F1 fight as Max Verstappen wins Abu Dhabi GP
As usual, Max Verstappen started from pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and raced off into the distance, but Mercedes and Ferrari were the true contenders, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton having obvious jobs to do.
Mercedes’s George Russell and Lewis Hamilton performed barely enough to edge out Ferrari for second place, while Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix handily.
At the end, Sergio Perez tried his hardest to ruin the Mercedes celebration after overtaking Russell with a few circuits remaining. However, a five-second time penalty prevented him from overtaking the British competitor for the final podium spot.
Mercedes also got enough points to maintain second place in the constructors’ championship because Hamilton outscored Carlos Sainz. In an attempt to slow Russell down, Charles Leclerc let Perez to pass, but it wasn’t nearly enough for Ferrari to overtake their competitors.
With Russell coming in third and Leclerc coming in second following Perez’s penalty, the Mexican was now in fourth position. Sainz did not score at all, and Ferrari’s bet to wait for a safety car did not pay off, although Hamilton picked up some modest points.
On the first lap, Leclerc gave Verstappen a fierce battle, making multiple attempts to take the lead early on. However, the Red Bull driver positioned his vehicle to ensure that the Monegasque could not complete the maneuver.
Verstappen managed to maintain enough distance from his competitor to ensure that he would not benefit from DRS when the system was triggered on the third lap, after initially holding off the Ferrari. Consequently, Leclerc had to worry about the McLarens behind him rather than the Red Bull in front of him.
Since Norris had defeated Russell early on, he and Piastri were collaborating to get the Ferrari closer. Back there, Hamilton had gotten off to a strong start and passed a few vehicles, including Perez, but the Mexican quickly regained the lead.
Russell continued to keep within Piastri’s DRS range, but he lacked the speed to overtake the rookie.
Mercedes’ attempt to outscore Ferrari was not looking good with Hamilton likewise stranded in 10th and Perez ahead of him.
However, things took a turn for the better on lap 11, as Russell was able to pass through without an invitation thanks to an Australian lock-up. He was particularly luckier when he and Norris made their pit stops simultaneously; the McLaren driver stumbled during his stop and finished behind his fellow British driver, who had moved up to third place.
Red Bull gave Leclerc the lead by being the first to blink and bring Verstappen in for his first stop.
After former Jordan and BAR driver Takuma Sato, Ferrari’s response a lap later made Yuki Tsunoda the second Japanese racer to lead a Grand Prix in Formula One history.
Naturally, he had to pit eventually, and Verstappen resumed his comfortable position at the front of the group. Instead of overtaking Leclerc with a burst of speed, he was keeping up with him by managing his tyres and making the prudent move.
Leclerc ultimately had to pit ahead of him in order to react when Russell switched to new tires.
Ferrari would have lost track position to the Mercedes if they had waited 1 another lap, as their driver narrowly avoided the British driver who was rapidly accelerating through his gears.
Hamilton was battling Fernando Alonso for the smaller points spots further behind. Additionally, after emerging from the pit lane close ahead of him, the Spaniard looked to brake test the Brit, earning the fury of his competitor. Hamilton became enraged at the move and expressed it on the radio. However, the stewards determined that no inquiry was required.
