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The Abu Dhabi GP will be the last hurrah of the season as the first season with the new technical regulations comes to an end. Both drivers' and constructors' championships are secured but there is still a lot at stake.
One of the biggest things is the bragging rights that come with heading into the winter with a win in the last race of the season. Fun fact: Red Bull won the last race of the 2020 F1 season only to carry that form into 2021 and challenge Mercedes for the title. These are small victories that tend to turn into something big when all is said and done.
Having said that, what can we expect from the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi GP? Let's find out in our predictions for the race on Sunday.
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#5 Mick Schumacher and Daniel Ricciardo end their season without points in the last race
Daniel Ricciardo will be starting the race on the back foot with a 3-place grid penalty already to his name. Whereas Mick Schumacher will be driving a Haas, a car that is as unpredictable as anything could be in this day and age.
Sadly, both drivers are in their last F1 races as neither has secured a seat for the 2023 F1 season. The two drivers will be looking at the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi GP and hoping to end the season on a high.
Unfortunately, looking at the circumstances, this might not be the case and we might be looking at both Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Schumacher ending the season without a top-10 finish in the last race.
#4 Alpine is the best midfield team
There is a 19-point difference between Alpine and McLaren as we head to the Yas Marina Circuit. Looking at the layout of Abu Dhabi, it's safe to say that there is going to be close competition between McLaren and Alpine in terms of pace. Having said that, Alpine has something that McLaren doesn't, two competent and consistent drivers in Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon.
Even if Lando Norris is able to pull off a good result, he won't be getting much support from teammate Daniel Ricciardo on that front. Especially since the Australian is already looking at a 3-place grid penalty for the race.
Ultimately, it's the 19-point advantage of Alpine that is going to carry them through as they secure P4 in the F1 championship this season.
#3 Sebastian Vettel scores points in his last F1 race
Sebastian Vettel has been in sublime form in the last few races. However, it's hard to say the same for the Aston Martin strategy team that has been in the dumps when it comes to making proper decisions during a race.
If it wasn't for those poor strategic calls, Vettel might have scored a great haul of points for the team at the 2022 F1 Brazilian GP. Sadly, that was not the case.
In the last race of the season, it may be a bit too much to expect the strategy unit to pull up the socks, but regardless, can Sebastian Vettel pull off a points-scoring result this weekend? It's hard to say that won't happen.
#2 Charles Leclerc secures P2 in the championship
Charles Leclerc is level on points with Sergio Perez heading into the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi GP. In terms of car performance, Red Bull should give Sergio Perez the edge as Ferrari have completely lost their way in the second half of the season.
Having said that, if we are going to talk about merit, is it a far cry to say that in terms of driver performance, Charles Leclerc has been the better driver this season?
At the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi GP, it will be a race where the stakes are high and drivers will have to bring their A-Game, and whoever doesn't will lose out massively. Expect the Ferrari driver to beat Sergio Perez in the Abu Dhabi GP and secure P2 in the World Drivers' Championship.
#1 Max Verstappen wins the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi GP
Max Verstappen was seething at the pre-race press conference as he spoke about the abuse his family had to go through in the past week. What happened in Brazil is now a thing of the past and we need to look forward.
For the Red Bull driver, looking forward means bouncing back with a win on a track where he has won in the last two seasons.
Max Verstappen had arguably one of the more taxing weekends this season in Sao Paulo. The Abu Dhabi GP will be the first race where he makes his comeback. With the kind of season he's had and the kind of competitiveness Red Bull has shown, Max Verstappen is our pick to win the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi GP.
