Dutch driver dominates as he wins 19th race of the season.
Max Verstappen dominated the final Formula One race of the 2023 season en route to his 19th victory of the year in Abu Dhabi season finale today, capping the most dominant season by any driver in the sport’s history.
Many experts within paddock stopped short of saying this season by Verstappen and Red Bull Racing as a team may be “unbreakable”, but many could not see a way it would be threatened barring a perfect season by a driver and team.
Verstappen won 19 of 22 races. Each week setting a new record for how many races won in a season. At one point in the season, Max had won 10 straight races. 19 of 22 gives Verstappen an 86% winning percentage on the season, the highest in history. Max led over 1000 laps this season, the ONLY driver in history to ever led 1000 laps.
As Verstappen climbed out of the RB19 for the final time, he gave the car several pats, as the car and driver were and unbelievable pair.
“It’s been an unforgettable season,” said Verstappen. “It was emotional on the in-lap driving the RB19 for the last time, this car and Team has given me so much. I have to say a big thank you to everyone at Red Bull, we’ve had an incredible year. It will be hard to replicate a year like this but we always want to do better and to improve so let’s see what we can do next year. In the meantime, I think the whole Team and everyone in the paddock needs a rest and to spend some time with friends and family. It’s been a simply lovely year.”
After facing some challenges during practice, Verstappen and Red Bull bounced back in the qualifying session to secure pole position for one final time in the 2023 season. Joining him on the front row was Charles Leclerc, followed by Oscar Piastri, George Russell, Lando Norris, and the impressive Yuki Tsunoda.
Qualifying saw a few surprises, with Lewis Hamilton struggling to find his usual form and settling for 11th place. Similarly, Carlos Sainz faced difficulties and found himself starting all the way down in 16th position after a heavy crash during FP2.
As the cars lined up on the grid, it became apparent that most drivers would be starting on the medium compound tires. However, Lance Stroll, Sainz, and Valtteri Bottas opted for a different strategy by choosing the hard rubber.
When the lights went out, Leclerc made a strong start and briefly challenged Verstappen on the run to Turn 1. However, Verstappen held his ground, braking later and successfully defending his position. Piastri maintained third place, while Norris made a bold move to overtake Russell at the second corner.
Leclerc remained in close pursuit of Verstappen, attempting to snatch the lead at various points on the track. The two drivers engaged in intense side-by-side battles under braking, but Verstappen managed to hold onto his position and gradually increased the gap between them. Determined to make up for his qualifying error, Norris overtook his teammate Piastri to secure third place. Meanwhile, Russell continued to apply pressure on Piastri, eventually making a successful move to claim fourth position.
As the race progressed, Verstappen maintained his lead over Leclerc by a little over a second. Norris trailed behind in third place, while Piastri had to defend his position from the persistent attacks of Russell. Further down the field, Tsunoda impressed with his skills, and Sergio Perez made his way up through the ranks.
Various pit stops unfolded throughout the race, with drivers opting for fresh tires. Verstappen relayed concerns about his right front tire starting to suffer as he continued to lead the pack. Norris and Russell encountered a slow pit stop from McLaren, allowing Russell to slip ahead. Verstappen and Leclerc both pitted, maintaining their positions once they rejoined the race.
The flurry of pit stops resulted in Tsunoda briefly leading the race, providing a welcome moment for AlphaTauri on what would be team boss Franz Tost’s final appearance. Stroll, Sainz, and Bottas also opted for extended stints on their tires, adding strategic intrigue to the 58-lap encounter.
In the closing stages of the race, Perez made a controversial move on Norris at the Turn 6/7 chicane, resulting in contact between the two. Norris voiced his frustration, while Perez argued that Norris had turned into him. The incident led to an investigation by the stewards, ultimately resulting in a five-second penalty for Perez.
As the race neared its end, Leclerc selflessly dropped back to aid Ferrari’s fight against Mercedes for second place in the constructors’ championship. He allowed Perez to pass and attempted to build a five-second gap back to Russell.
The strategy might have worked had more than one lap remained when Perez passed the Ferrari, meaning there was not enough time for Leclerc to execute the strategy and slow Russell.
When they crossed the line, Leclerc and Russell, who were both within four seconds of Perez, were promoted back to second and third once the penalty was applied.
“Unfortunately it wasn’t enough,” said Leclerc, after his third podium in the past four races. “It’s just a shame we finished third in constructors, that’s all that mattered to me. We didn’t achieve that, but I want to thank the team for doing such incredible work.”
What’s next?
As an action-packed season comes to an end, teams and drivers will now head into the winter break before gearing up for the 2024 campaign, which kicks off with the Bahrain Grand Prix from February 29 to March 2.