Max Verstappen finished a spectacular and record-breaking season in familiar fashion, cruising to Red Bull’s 19th win of the year in an action-packed Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The three-time world champion finished 17.993 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, whose brave drive was insufficient for the Italian team to finish second in the constructors’ title.
Although Sergio Perez finished second behind Verstappen on the road, he was relegated to fourth with a five-second penalty for a mid-race collision with McLaren’s Lando Norris, which promoted George Russell to third.
Norris finished fifth, ahead of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, Yuki Tsunoda of Alpha Tauri, and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes.
Verstappen finished the season as the only driver to complete every lap of the season, with almost 1000 laps led, breaking Jim Clark’s 1963 record for the most laps led in a season. The race started in sweltering circumstances, with an air temperature of 27 degrees Celsius with the track progressively cooling as the sun set and the floodlights illuminated the Yas Marina Circuit. The top 12 cars began on medium compound tyres.
The Dutchman led from pole and held off three early attempts from Leclerc to build a one-second lead before the Drag Reduction System (DRS) was activated on lap three, when Perez slid inside Hamilton for eighth and Norris passed Piastri for third, having already overtaken Russell.
As the leaders pitted for hards, Yuki Tsunoda took over on lap 18, providing Alpha Tauri and Tost with a remarkable occasion, the only time a Japanese driver had led a Formula One race. He sat there as Verstappen worked his way back to the front, finally retaking control on lap 23 when Tsunoda pitted, returning in 12th place behind Hamilton, who was damaged by an early collision with the rear of Pierre Gasly’s Alpine.
By lap 30, the story had become commonplace. Verstappen had a 6.5-second lead over Leclerc, with Russell third and Norris fourth. Hamilton finished seventh, with Sainz 14th.When Russell was passed by Perez for third, the’silver arrows’ hopes were hung on the five-second penalty the Mexican was given for an earlier collision with Norris as the flag came out for Verstappen.