Why F1 fireworks failed to ignite
Season doesn’t live up to expectations as Verstappen dominates, Mercedes produce a dog and Ferrari implode
It could not have felt more different to 12 months ago. After last year’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, chaos and confusion reigned for five hours postrace as the FIA’s stewards heard various protests and decided the fate of the 2021 title.
The repercussions of that race rumbled on for months and are still being felt now.
This time around, the atmosphere was flat. We had the same winner: Dutchman Max Verstappen in the 15th victory of a record-setting year.
But there was no controversy over the result. Red Bull’s double world champion was miles ahead of the field, as he has been for most of this season.
The drivers all said their bit afterwards and then shuffled off into the desert night, the attention of the sporting world long since having switched to nearby Qatar, where the football World Cup was starting.
So ended the 2022 campaign; one which promised much, with Britain’s Lewis Hamilton gunning for revenge and Ferrari expected to challenge.
But it ultimately fell way short of expectations, Mercedes producing a dog of a car, and Ferrari imploding.
With the title long since wrapped up, the main area of interest heading into the final race was the battle for second spot in the drivers’ championship between Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
And the ingredients were reasonably spicy. The two men began the race tied on 290 points, with Perez annoyed not to have a couple more after Verstappen refused a direct order from his team to gift his sixth spot at the previous weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix to his teammate.
The fallout from that decision was messy, with allegations Verstappen was still angry at Perez because he suspected the Mexican had crashed on purpose in qualifying in Monaco in May to secure pole — an allegation Perez denied.
The team orders row did nothing to help soften Verstappen’s image and he found himself booed by sections of the crowd at Yas Marina all weekend. Seeking to make amends, Verstappen gave Perez a tow in qualifying on Saturday, helping the Mexican to second spot on the grid, one place ahead of Leclerc.
It did not prove enough of an advantage. While Verstappen roared away and won the race at a canter, Leclerc made a one-stopper work for him to claim second spot.
Perez, who stopped twice, ran out of time to catch back up to the Ferrari, finishing 1.3s behind in the final reckoning. There was the potential for Verstappen to slow at the front and try to help Perez by backing up Leclerc. But the double world champion’s charitable instincts only extended so far.
“It is how it is,” Perez said. “As a team, we gave it all through the season, and I’m sure we will come back stronger next year.”
There was disappointment, too, for Mercedes. One week after his maiden race win in Brazil, George Russell could finish only fifth.
He was released into traffic after a bungled pit stop, incurring a fivesecond penalty, while teammate Hamilton was forced to retire from fourth place after developing a hydraulic issue. It meant the seventime champion ended the season without a victory for the first time.
There were two other major storylines to resolve. McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo finished ninth in what may have been his final F1 race as he prepares to rejoin Red Bull as their reserve driver next season.
And Sebastian Vettel finished 10th in what was definitely his final race after his Aston Martin team opted for a one-stopper.
But it was nothing like the fireworks of last year. The hope is next year fans will get the championship they were promised this season.