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The 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi GP ended the season with the familiar face of Max Verstappen standing at the top of the podium. The Red Bull driver drove a measured race, kept the chasing pack at a safe distance, and won the race comfortably. His teammate Sergio Perez was not as lucky, as the Mexican driver lost out to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in the race and in the championship as well.
The Ferrari driver secured a P2 in the race and in the championship, while Perez will have to be content with P3.
The two multiple world champions, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, could not see the checkered flag due to reliability issues. They so helped Sebastian Vettel score points in the last race of his F1 career.
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As the 2022 F1 season draws to a close, there will be a few happy with how the Abu Dhabi GP went, while others will have hoped for a better result. Who are they? Let's find out as we take a look at the winners and losers of the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi GP.
2022 F1 Abu Dhabi GP: Winners and Losers
Winner: Max Verstappen and Red Bull
Max Verstappen and Red Bull were under pressure after the shenanigans of Brazil. The team was on the back foot as it was challenged and even beaten by Mercedes in Sau Paulo. To add to this, the kind of stuff written about Max Verstappen was out of order and the Dutch driver was made to look like a villain in Brazil.
In Abu Dhabi, from FP2 onwards, Max Verstappen was on point. The driver had plenty of spare performances available and that was on display in qualifying. Even in the race, Verstappen was unchallenged as he picked up his 15th win of the season.
Loser: Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez had the faster car and a straightforward race in which he had to beat Charles Leclerc in a straight fight. The fact that he could not get it done comes down to him and no one else.
Having said that, with all those statements made about Verstappen being a good teammate, Perez might need to upgrade his skills. At the moment, there is a solid gap between him and the elites of the grid.
Winner: Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc went up against Sergio Perez in a slower car and was still able to secure P2 in the Abu Dhabi GP. These are the kind of results that the elites of the field are able to pull out when push comes to shove. Leclerc has not had the greatest of seasons in terms of results. Far too often this season has his results been punctured by the team's incompetencies.
Having said that, this is the best career season for Leclerc in terms of the final standings. While it could have been a lot better, at least he has something to build on for 2023.
Loser: Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton ended what has turned out to be the worst F1 season of his career with a DNF. It's safe to say that there are a lot of things that will need to change if he is to make his comeback next season. It started with the Mercedes driver once again cutting the track just like he did last season. This time around, though, he did give the position back to Carlos Sainz.
Then came the second excursion off the track that apparently damaged the floor followed by what was the last nail in the coffin - a hydraulics issue. The 2022 F1 season is not the one that the Mercedes driver will remember fondly.
Winner: Alpine
That's P4 for the French squad in the Abu Dhabi GP and while it was once again characterized by a Fernando Alonso DNF, the team secured what was most important, the result.
On the day, it's safe to say that Lando Norris' McLaren was perhaps a bit quicker. Meanwhile, it's also safe to say that Esteban Ocon was still in a position to claim the maximum possible points and secure it for the team.
There are some obvious chinks in Alpine's armor, but there are signs of progress. The team has momentum and it will be interesting to see what it can do with it.
Loser: McLaren
McLaren always had its back against the wall heading into the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi GP. The team had dropped the ball with a double DNF in the previous race, and making up 19 points was always going to be tough.
While the team was able to do a good job, it wasn't enough. This also raises concerns over what the team should be able to achieve next season. This especially since it is the worst finish in the constructors for the team in the last few years.
