2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP: Top 5 predictions

The 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP will be the last race of the season, which not many would call exciting as Max Verstappen and Red Bull established dominance from the start. Having said that, there have been truly memorable moments.

The 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP will bring the season to a close and then we have around three months of no racing as teams pack their bags and get back to preparations for next season.

With all that being said, what can we expect from the last race weekend of the season? Let's take a look.

#1 Max Verstappen wins the 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP

Some things don't change when it comes to F1 in 2023. The track at Las Vegas truly played into the strengths of the Ferrari but what we have for Abu Dhabi GP in terms of track demands is something more conventional.

The track won't offer too many surprises and Red Bull should have a healthy buffer this weekend. We're backing Max Verstappen to win the 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP.

#2 Ferrari will secure P2 in the championship

Ferrari and Mercedes head to the 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP just four points apart. The gap has shrunk quite rapidly in the last few races and as we head to the last race of the season, it comes down to who will get the job done in the end.

Ideally, a more conventional circuit should work in favor of Mercedes but there's a catch. The two massive straights should work in favor of Ferrari. Moreover, the car is not too bad in the slow-speed sections of the third sector either.

The only place where Mercedes could have a definitive advantage is in the first sector and overall, that could tilt the balance in Ferrari's favor.

Unless the Italian team suffers reliability woes, the team should be in a prime position to beat Mercedes and claim P2 in the championship.

#3 McLaren should be a podium contender again

The race in Las Vegas was a bad one for McLaren and the team was rightly disappointed by that.

Having said that, the drop in performance was down to the track and the conditions being unique. At the 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP, we're looking at a more conventional circuit and that should help the team get back to where it was in the pecking order.

#4 The race might not feature too much action

We're coming to Abu Dhabi on the back of an interesting race that was potentially a candidate for the race of the season. The adrenaline could be high and so could the expectations from the race weekend. Unfortunately, Yas Marina is not the kind of track that yields too many interesting races.

The race might be a bit more pedestrian and while that's not the best way to end a season and while we can hope for more, the F1 Abu Dhabi GP seldom delivers interesting races.

#5 Williams is the dark horse this weekend

Williams has had a very impressive season in 2023. The car has made progress and the team has made strides as well. However, there's something about that car that has stayed - the ability to be rapid on the straights.

The team has done a brilliant job of continuing to have that strength week in and week out. At the F1 Abu Dhabi GP with those long straights, expect Williams to be the dark horse as it tries to end the season on a high.