As F1 returns to the contentious Abu Dhabi GP for the 2022 season finale, Verstappen orchestrated yet another Red Bull pole at the track he won his first world title in the most controversial of ways in a last-lap overtake after a red-flagged race. Verstappen who has already won the 2022 world championship will be supporting his teammate Sergio Perez to get P2 in the championship ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who is equal on points for P2 but has more race wins than the Mexican. This also comes after a controversial Brazilian GP where Verstappen refused to give back the position he was given by Perez on the last lap of the race causing rumblings of discord within the Red Bull paddock.
For Ferrari, this race is not only important for Charles Leclerc to secure P2, but it is only ahead by 19 points from Mercedes in the constructor’s championship and many believe its team boss Mattia Binotto’s job is on the line if the Italians fail to secure it. Leclerc managed to qualify P3 ahead of bids teammate Carlos Sainz Jr.
After the euphoria of the Brazilian GP for Mercedes, in Abu Dhabi, they couldn’t march the pace of Red Bull and Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton just managed P5 while George Russell who won his first F1 race in Brazil managed P6. Lando Norris managed P7 for McLaren ahead of his outgoing teammate Daniel Ricciardo who managed P10. Esteban Ocon was the sole Alpine in the top 10 at P8 as Fernando Alonso didn’t make it out of Q2. He managed just P11.
Sebastian Vettel who is now in his 299th and last race of his career managed a stellar P9 in the underpowered Aston Martin. Vettel was fourth-tenths faster than his teammate Lance Stroll who just managed P14 and didn’t cross Q2.
Yuki Tsunoda managed P12 ahead of Pierre Gasly who is in his last race for the AlphaTauri team just managed P17. Mick Schumacher who will be leaving Haas after this race again out-qualified his teammate Kevin Magnussen for P13 to Dane’s P16.
Guanyu Zhou was again impressive in the rather lethargic Alfa Romeo in P15 where he managed to out-qualify Valtteri Bottas who managed just P18. The Williams duo were the last two cars — Albon managed P18 while Nicholas Latifi who will be leaving the team next year was again the slowest car on the grid.
