F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix LIVE: Race results as Max Verstappen wins season finale
Follow all the reaction from the final grand prix of the 2023 Formula 1 season at the Yas Marina Circuit
Max Verstappen ended the most dominant season in Formula One history with another victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as Mercedes clung on to second place in the constructors’ championship by the skin of their teeth – and a £10milllion cash boost.
Verstappen - who became the first man to lead 1,000 laps in a single F1 season - failed to triumph at just three of the 22 rounds staged, and his latest win takes him to 54 for his career, leaving only Lewis Hamilton (103 wins) and Michael Schumacher (91) ahead of him.
The Dutchman finished 17 seconds clear of team-mate Sergio Perez but the Red Bull driver was demoted to fourth following a five-second penalty for a collision with Lando Norris.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was promoted to second with Mercedes’ George Russell third. Lewis Hamilton finished ninth in the other black-liviried machine with Mercedes three points clear of Ferrari in the standings to land a £105million reward, rather than £95m.
Follow reaction from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with The Independent
A reminder of the starting grid for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:
1) Max Verstappen
2) Charles Leclerc
3) Oscar Piastri
4) George Russell
5) Lando Norris
6) Yuki Tsunoda
7) Fernando Alonso
8) Nico Hulkenberg
9) Sergio Perez
10) Pierre Gasly
11) Lewis Hamilton
12) Esteban Ocon
13) Lance Stroll
14) Alex Albon
15) Daniel Ricciardo
16) Carlos Sainz
17) Kevin Magnussen
18) Valtteri Bottas
19) Zhou Guanyu
20) Logan Sargeant
Chris Hemsworth on the grid!
The Aussie actor obviously played F1 legend James Hunt in the film Rush.
Driver Standings ahead of this final race!
Battle to look out for: Who will finish fourth between Sainz, Alonso, Norris and Leclerc?
--
1) Max Verstappen - 549 points (champion)
2) Sergio Perez - 273 points
3) Lewis Hamilton - 232 points
4) Carlos Sainz - 200 points
5) Fernando Alonso - 200 points
6) Lando Norris - 195 points
7) Charles Leclerc - 188 points
8) George Russell - 160 points
9) Oscar Piastri - 89 points
10) Lance Stroll - 73 points
11) Pierre Gasly - 62 points
12) Esteban Ocon - 58 points
13) Alex Albon - 27 points
14) Yuki Tsunoda - 13 points
15) Valtteri Bottas - 10 points
16) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points
17) Daniel Ricciardo - 6 points
18) Zhou Guanyu - 6 points
19) Kevin Magnussen - 3 points
20) Liam Lawson - 2 points
21) Logan Sargeant - 1 point
21) Nyck de Vries - 0 points
Time for the national anthem of the United Arab Emirates
A serene picture as the sun sets in Abu Dhabi.
Here were the drivers posing before the race:
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix winner odds!
Max Verstappen - 1/7
Lando Norris - 14/1
Charles Leclerc -16/1
George Russell - 20/1
Oscar Piastri - 25/1
Sergio Perez - 50/1
Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton - 100/1
Carlos Sainz - 150/1
Yuki Tsunoda - 250/1
Pierre Gasly - 500/1
Christian Horner reveals talks with Lewis Hamilton’s father over Red Bull seat
Christian Horner revealed that Lewis Hamilton’s father Anthony made an enquiry about Sergio Perez’s seat at Red Bull earlier this season.
Following on from an interview Horner gave saying that a representative of Hamilton had been in touch about joining the world champions, Hamilton had his say on Thursday – insisting that nobody from his team has been in touch and, in fact, Horner messaged him on an old phone.
The Mercedes driver added that Horner was simply “stirring things.”
Yet the Red Bull team principal looked to put the speculation to bed by divulging that it was Hamilton’s father and former manager Anthony who had touched base.
Full quotes below:
Christian Horner reveals talks with Lewis Hamilton’s father over Red Bull seat
It’s been a bit of a despairing end to the season for Lando
He starts P5 today. It should have been better.
Walking with the stars: Inside the white lines of the Las Vegas Grand Prix grid
Feature by Kieran Jackson
It’s Saturday night in Sin City, 9pm local time. One hour until lights out. Walking out of the media centre, across the car park of the Tuscany Suites and Casino, and up through the various security checkpoints, you arrive at the highly coveted, yet strangely downplayed open space that is the Formula One paddock. Halfway down, between the garages of Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo, lies the grid access lane: a portal to the forthcoming chaos.
There is a chill in the air. A cool 15C temperature which, predicted all week, is about to play havoc with tyres in the 50 laps ahead. A pause for breath and then the steel-faced American bodyguard gives the go-ahead. On you stroll, pretending you belong here. Welcome to the curiously flummoxing experience that is the F1 pre-race grid.
Full piece below:
Walking with the stars: Inside the white lines of the Las Vegas Grand Prix grid
Relegation and promotion in F1? An alternative reality to reinvigorate the season finale
Friday’s first practice session in Abu Dhabi was an intriguing watch. On a weekend which is alarmingly lacking much intrigue, exactly half the grid were absent. Substituted in their place were 10 “rookie” drivers, as part of F1’s mandatory young drivers programme introduced last year. One driver, and more so how he performed, amplified one of the sport’s most peculiar issues – and one where a solution could amp up the closing races of the season.
It is one of the FIA’s – the sport’s governing body – most odd rules that the Formula 2 champion can’t compete in the series again. Such a regulation would imply that there is a ready-made pathway to F1 for the winner, but this is not the case. For 2022 champion Felipe Drugovich, a second year in a row begrudgingly watching from the sidelines beckons next season. A shame because (who’d have thought it), he’s actually pretty fast.
Full piece below:
Relegation and promotion in F1? An alternative reality to reinvigorate Abu Dhabi
A reminder of the starting grid for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:
1) Max Verstappen
2) Charles Leclerc
3) Oscar Piastri
4) George Russell
5) Lando Norris
6) Yuki Tsunoda
7) Fernando Alonso
8) Nico Hulkenberg
9) Sergio Perez
10) Pierre Gasly
11) Lewis Hamilton
12) Esteban Ocon
13) Lance Stroll
14) Alex Albon
15) Daniel Ricciardo
16) Carlos Sainz
17) Kevin Magnussen
18) Valtteri Bottas
19) Zhou Guanyu
20) Logan Sargeant
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