Max Verstappen was on Abu Dhabi Grand Prix pole and sped off into the distance as usual, but the real fight was between Mercedes and Ferrari with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton’s tasks clear
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell did just enough for Mercedes to beat Ferrari to second place, while Max Verstappen strolled to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix victory unchallenged.
Sergio Perez did his best to spoil the Mercedes party at the end after getting the better of Russell with a few laps to go. But a five-second time penalty meant he did not have enough of a gap to snatch the last podium place from the Brit.
And the fact Hamilton out-scored Carlos Sainz meant Mercedes had enough points to hold on to second place in the constructors’ championship. Charles Leclerc let Perez past in a desperate attempt to slow Russell down, but it wasn’t quite enough for Ferrari to leapfrog their rivals.
So Leclerc was second after Perez’s penalty and Russell third, dropping the Mexican down to fourth place. Hamilton scored minor points while a Ferrari gamble with Sainz to wait for a safety car did not pay off and the Spaniard did not score at all.
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 move.
Verstappen managed to maintain enough distance from his rival 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 bring 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 stay 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 stuck 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 even 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 an extra lap, as their driver narrowly avoided the British driver who was rapidly accelerating through his gearbox.
Hamilton was battling Fernando Alonso for the minor points spots further back. Additionally, after emerging from the pit lane just ahead of him, the Spaniard appeared to brake test the Brit, earning the wrath of his rival. Hamilton became enraged about the move and expressed it on the radio. However, the stewards determined that no inquiry was required.
After the Mexican forced Norris off the road, they were less forgiving of Perez. His hopes of finishing on the podium were dashed by a five-second penalty, which greatly aided Russell and Mercedes in their attempt to finish ahead of Ferrari in the championship.
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