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F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2023 season highlights

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13 December 2023 - 16:29
F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2023 season (…)

What a nail-biting end to the season finale! The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marked an astonishing finish to the 2023 Formula 1 season. Picture this: Yas Marina Circuit, a scorching hot racetrack where the drama unfolded. Drivers, including Yuki Tsunoda, hit the stage, taking along their A-game. It wasn’t a race either but a joy ride. And who was the driver of the day? All on Max Verstappen. Max did not only join the party, he owned it. He carved his name in history by securing his 19th win of the year as he led the race lap by lap. Set for a ride? Let’s dig deep into the twists and turns this gargantuan race has in store, including its betting scene.

Winners and Losers of Abu Dhabi GP

What a thrill ride! The F1 Abu Dhabi forked over a banquet of sensations – drama, elation, and astonishing bombshells. Let’s sort out the victors and losers from this heroic face-off.

Max stole the show, rewriting the record books with his F1 triumph and high betting odds. Besides, this win positioned Max Verstappen to be the most recent Dutch driver to win a Formula One race. He left Leclerc’s Ferrari and Russell’s Mercedes eating dust in his Red Bull rocket, finishing 10 and 20 seconds ahead of them, respectively.

Unlike his teammate Leclerc, Carlos Sainz faced a tough day at the office. A lacklustre race cost Ferrari the second spot in the constructors’ tournament. Sadness is the identity of the game for him and his team.

George Russell, the Mercedes maverick, emerged as the hero, bagging his second podium for the team. Stepping up when Hamilton bowed out, he showcased himself as one of Verstappen’s closest rival for next season. He will still team up with Lewis, setting the stage for an exciting partnership.

Conversely, Alpine encountered a tricky run, finishing off the points. Esteban Ocon wasn’t thrilled with the team’s strategy, claiming an early pit stop blunder. From high hopes to a season-ending low, Alpine faced disappointment.

Enter Yuki Tsunoda, the race’s dark horse, claiming the eigth spot. With speed and daring overtakes, he threw a curveball at the Red Bull plans, particularly dampening Daniel Ricciardo’s dreams. Tsunoda made a bold statement, earning respect from his rivals.

Leaderboard

The leaderboard of the F1 GP shows the final positions and points of the drivers who completed the race. As per the F1 2023 driver standings, the top ten drivers showcased their skill, determination, and nerves of steel.

Here’s how the drivers fared:

Pos.DriverCarLapsTimePoints
01 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Honda 58 1h27m02.624s 26
02 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 58 +17.993 18
03 63 George Russell Mercedes 58 +20.328 15
04 11 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Honda 58 +21.453 12
05 4 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 58 +24.284 10
06 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 58 +31.487 8
07 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Mercedes 58 +39.512 6
08 22 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri Honda 58 +43.088 4
09 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 58 +44.424 2
10 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin Mercedes 58 +55.632 1

Main moments of the Race

The Abu Dhabi F1 was an inspiring climax, with several unforgettable moments that shaped the story of the race. Let’s check out what happened:

Max Makes History

Max had already won this year’s world title but wasn’t done yet. He won the UAE race and set a new F1 record for the most wins in one season: 19! He was unstoppable this year, securing 1003 laps in the season.

Mercedes Fights Back

Many people doubted Mercedes, but the cars proved they were wrong. They finished second in the constructors’ championship, beating Ferrari by a narrow margin. The vehicles had to overcome many difficulties, especially in the succeeding half of the season, but the squad never gave up.

Leclerc’s Smart Move

Remember how Carlos Sainz won the Singapore race with a clever strategy? Nice, Leclerc did something similar in the UAE. He tried snatching second place from Mercedes when he picked a different tire. He showed that there existed only one way to win a race.

FIA Checks the Helmets

Something unusual happened in the course of the race. The FIA officials checked the helmets of the team members in the pitlane. These officials wanted to ensure everyone wore proper eye protection when changing tires. Safety first!

Pitlane Drama Continues

A lot of drama emerged in the pitlane, as some drivers complained about being blocked. Max showed his skills when he avoided a collision with another car during FP2, but the race director Niels Wittich was unhappy. He warned the drivers to be more careful while racing.

Alonso’s Mixed Feelings

Fernando Alonso had a great season, finishing fourth in the drivers’ championship. That was his best result since 2013. But Alonso was also sad because his team Aston Martin lost fifth place in the constructors’ championship to McLaren. The crew couldn’t keep pace with their rivals in the end.

AlphaTauri’s Final Effort

AlphaTauri and Williams had a close battle for the seventh place in the constructors’ championship. AlphaTauri tried to gain an advantage by bringing a new floor upgrade to UAE, but it didn’t work. Williams kept their lead and secured the seventh place.

Sargeant’s Future Unclear

Logan Sargeant didn’t have a good race, finishing 16th. He further didn’t know if he would have a seat for 2024. He started from the back of the grid because of qualifying problems and couldn’t make much progress. He had to hold on and pick out what would fall out next.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Betting Trends

Fans and bettors hungry for a season-ending spectacular were drawn in like a magnet. Look at the betting scene; it was similar to an insane ride. Motorsports betting websites offering valuable tips and insights on Verstappen’s rule stood out. It should come as no surprise that he has been quite sensational, winning three races in a row in UAE.

We can discuss the odds now. Verstappen emerged as the clear winner, with odds ranging from -333 to -650. Hold on a second because Charles and Lando Norris were chasing, with odds ranging from +1200 to +1600. Not just that, but Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez, and Lewis Hamilton also filled the space, bragging odds of +1600 to +2000. And what of the others? Indeed, they were aiming high, with odds ranging from an astounding +70,000 to +2200. An exciting betting drama, isn’t it?

Bottom Line

All things considered, Formula One UAE remains to be a spectacular season-ending race that broke records. Max Verstappen, the newly crowned champion, demonstrated a dominating performance and Red Bull’s top-tier performance.

Pause, though. Extra attention is being drawn to more than simply Max. The budding stars Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc left an impression. No ordinary racer dared to participate; this was merely a showdown between the best of the best. Bringing back the electrifying changeability of Formula One, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz encountered formidable issues.

Now here we are, waiting for an upcoming season. But for the UAE F1 - this was beyond just a race; it was a historical epic with insane betting odds.

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