Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Dwell race protection, what’s at stake, and outcomes

The ultimate race of the 2023 Components 1 season is upon us. And whereas there may not be a battle on the high of the desk in each the Constructors’ Championship and the Drivers’ Championship, some fascinating battles are able to unfold at Yas Marina within the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Which suggests we’ll hearth up the reside weblog another time for the ultimate 58 laps of the season.

Max Verstappen and Pink Bull have already locked up the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles, respectively, and Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez has clinched second within the Drivers’ standings. However here’s what is at stake Sunday at Yas Marina:

• Second within the Constructors’ Championship: Simply 4 factors separate Ferrari and Mercedes, with Mercedes within the lead
• Fourth within the Constructors’ Championship: Simply 11 factors separate McLaren and Aston Martin, with McLaren within the lead
• Seventh within the Constructors’ Championship: Williams is within the lead with 28 factors, however AlphaTauri (21), Alfa Romeo (16) and Haas (12) all have an opportunity on this battle
• Fourth within the Drivers’ Championship: Verstappen and Pérez have clinched first and second, and Lewis Hamilton is locked into third place. However 4 drivers — Carlos Sainz Jr., Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris, and Charles Leclerc — all have a shot at fourth behind the highest three. Sainz and Alonso are tied with 200 factors every, and the Ferrari driver has the tiebreaker edge on all three of the opposite drivers in the mean time as he’s the one non-Pink Bull driver to have gained this season. Norris is simply 5 factors behind these two and Leclerc, who will begin the race second, has 188 factors on the season.

Right here is the beginning grid for the season finale, barring any last-minute modifications:

The race will get rolling at 8:00 a.m. Japanese, and we could have updates all morning lengthy. So test again early and infrequently!

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

sPhoto by Peter Fox/Getty Pictures

Replace 10:05: The provisional race classification:

Replace 9:39: The highest ten in Abu Dhabi:

Replace 9:37: Alonso finishes fourth within the Drivers’ standings, his greatest end in ten years.

Replace 9:34: McLaren has completed fourth within the Constructors’:

Replace 9:32: Verstappen is the winner in Abu Dhabi.

Leclerc let Pérez by to attempt to pull off some technique, however it’s not sufficient as Russell stays inside 5 seconds of the Pink Bull driver. Pérez finishes second however will likely be dropped. Leclerc will get promoted to second, and Russell to 3rd.

That’s sufficient — in the mean time and barring any post-race penalties — to see Mercedes to P2 within the Constructors’

Replace 9:30: Max Verstappen has led 1000 laps this season, the primary F1 driver to perform that feat.

And he’s about to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Replace 9:27: Sainz nonetheless must pit, however Ferrari might pull him in for a set of softs to attempt to steal the quickest lap of the race.

That single level could possibly be enormous within the battle for second.

Replace 9:25: Pérez will get by Russell for P3.

Russell wants to remain inside 5 seconds of the Pink Bull to safe P2 for Mercedes.

Replace 9:24: 5 laps to go within the 2023 F1 season, mates.

Replace 9:18: As famous by F1TV, the battle between Mercedes and Ferrari might very effectively come down as to if Pérez can move Russell. Proper now Leclerc is over three seconds forward of Russell, and Pérez is round 3.5 seconds behind the Mercedes.

If Pérez can move Russell, however not get by Leclerc, that may be sufficient for Ferrari to complete second.

Nevertheless, Ferrari will get some unhealthy information, as Pérez has been given a five-second penalty for the collision with Norris.

Replace 9:16: The incident between Norris and Pérez goes to be investigated by race officers.

In real-time standings, Mercedes is forward of Ferrari for P2 within the Constructors’.

Replace 9:14: “Clumsy” contact between Norris and Pérez, as described by Alex Jacques.

Hamilton will get by Sainz and into P9. That could possibly be important within the battle for second.

Replace 9:10: Hamilton has been famous for a “pit cease infringement.”

So, that’s one thing else to watch within the battle for second. The Mercedes driver is at the moment in P10, however a penalty could possibly be enormous in that battle.

Replace 9:09: 15 laps to go, and right here is the present high ten:

Verstappen
Leclerc
Russell
Norris
Tsunoda
Pérez
Piastri
Sainz
Alonso
Hamilton

Replace 9:07: Russell asks over the radio how issues are going within the Constructors’ Championship, and will get a quite wordy non-response.

“What the **** does that imply?” asks the Mercedes driver.

Over at Ferrari, Sainz is instructed that the staff is hoping for a late security automobile.

So, issues are going effectively.

Replace 9:03: Race stewards have famous that incident between Alonso and Hamilton.

Replace 9:01: A enjoyable little scrap is shaping up between Alonso and Hamilton for P11. Alonso with a bit brake test on Hamilton which … effectively is one thing you are able to do at almost 175 mph, I assume …

Replace 8:57: Russell responds with a pit cease of his personal, and he comes out forward of Norris. It seems as if the undercut try from Norris has not paid off.

Now Leclerc comes into the pits, which pushes Pérez up into P2. We have now a Pink Bull 1-2 in the mean time.

Replace 8:54: McLaren brings Norris in for a cease, and it goes significantly better this time. Pérez was throughout his again for P4.

Right here is the present high ten as we’ve crossed the halfway level of this race:

Verstappen
Leclerc
Russell
Pérez
Piastri
Alonso
Hamilton
Tsunoda
Stroll
and Norris, who rejoins the battle in P10

Replace 8:46: And now Pérez will get into fifth.

Replace 8:44: The RB19 is a rocket proper now on the laborious tires. Verstappen has pulled over 5 seconds forward of Leclerc, and Pérez is now into P6, and is all around the again of Piastri for P5.

Replace 8:43: They’re discussing the “black and orange” flag, which is a warning for a damaged half on a automobile.

That is among the many phrases within the helpful SB Nation “F1 Glossary,” which you’ll be able to view right here.

Replace 8:41: Within the battle for second, the reside replace has Mercedes ending three factors forward of Ferrari.

Within the battle for fourth, the reside replace has McLaren ending forward of Aston Martin.

Replace 8:39: Sainz is available in for a cease. Bottas is the one driver but to come back into the pits.

Replace 8:38: Tsunoda is available in for his cease and a set of hards is bolted on.

If AlphaTauri certainly finishes seventh within the Constructors’, bear in mind his stint to begin this race.

Replace 8:35: Tsunoda has put collectively an incredible run on this set of mediums. He should cease, however he has put himself able to make this a one-stop race.

Stroll, Sainz, and Bottas are the one different drivers who’ve but to pit.

Replace 8:31: With Leclerc making a cease, we’ve a brand new chief.

Yuki Tsunoda is main the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, within the last race for Franz Tost.

Replace 8:28: Verstappen pits as effectively. Leclerc is up into P1, with Tsunoda into P2.

Replace 8:27: Gasly locks up and Hamilton runs into the again of him. The left entrance endplate of Hamilton’s W14 is a bit wobbly in the mean time.

Mercedes brings Hamilton into the pits in consequence.

Replace 8:25: Mercedes calls in Russell, and McLaren calls in Norris.

Mercedes has the higher pit cease of the 2, and Russell picks up the spot as they arrive again onto the observe.

Replace 8:24: Piastri is available in, wanting like a two-stop race for him now. He’s on the hards, and comes out simply in entrance of Alonso.

Replace 8:23: Alonso pits, which pushes Hamilton up intp P9.

And alters all the maths I simply did within the earlier replace …

Replace 8:20: Russell lastly will get by means of and into fourth.

So an replace on the battle for P2 within the Constructors’. Leclerc is in second, Russell in fourth, and Hamilton in tenth. If that holds:

Ferrari — 406
Mercedes — 405

So, yeah. Each level issues proper now.

Replace 8:17: Russell for the second lap in a row tries the skin line towards Piastri, however for the second lap in a row he can’t full the overtake.

Replace 8:15: Ricciardo is pressured to pit as his AlphaTauri is coping with spiking brake temperatures. He rejoins the battle in P19.

Replace 8:13: A really lengthy DRS practice has fashioned, from Leclerc in P2 again to Stroll in P12.

Replace 8:10: Norris is up into P3, and is lower than a second behind Leclerc for P2.

Replace 8:08: Bear in mind, one of many battles we’re watching right now is the battle for seventh within the Constructors’ between Williams, AlphaTauri, Alfa Romeo, and Haas.

Proper now, AlphaTauri is on the entrance foot. Tsunoda is in sixth, the place he began, whereas the Williams duo is in the back of the sphere.

If that holds, AlphaTauri would end one level forward of Williams for seventh.

Replace 8:06: Hamilton posted the quickest time on the primary lap, and has jumped into the factors having picked up two spots.

Norris is up into P4.

Oh and Verstappen is already virtually 1.5 seconds forward of Leclerc. So … yeah.

Replace 8:04: They’re racing at Yas Marina.

Verstappen holds off Leclerc initially. Leclerc will get alongside him within the center sector, however the Pink Bull driver holds him off.

Replace 8:03: Tsunoda with a radio message for Tost earlier than lights exit:

Replace 8:01: The formation lap is underway.

Additionally, each Albon and Sargeant are on the mediums.

Replace 7:58: A word on tires. Stroll, Sainz, and Bottas are on the hards. The Williams duo has apparently not taken tire blankets off simply but.

Everybody else is on mediums:

Replace 7:55: So in case you are studying this and may clip that second of Yuki Tsunoda skipping to the grid, please ship it alongside.

Pre-race notes

Picture by Kym Illman/Getty Pictures

Replace 7:51: Christian Horner sings Tost’s praises on the F1TV pre-race present. “Want him all the perfect for the longer term,” notes Horner.

“No matter occurs right now we’ve gained 20 races … no matter occurs it’s been essentially the most wonderful 12 months for us,” provides Horner. “That is all all the way down to the women and men in Milton Keynes … this piece of historical past [the RB19] that may get retired right now has been very particular for us.”

Replace 7:49: Buxton additionally describes the RB19 as some of the “dominant” vehicles we’ve ever seen in F1.

One staff will likely be unhappy to see it go, however 9 others can’t wait to see it off the grid.

Replace 7:44: On his last grid stroll of the season, F1TV analyst Will Buxton notes how important right now is for Williams driver Logan Sargeant, who nonetheless has but to lock down his seat for 2024. Buxton notes that Sargeant did not put up a lap time in Q1, with each of his occasions being deleted.

Which is one thing that he skilled initially of the season in Saudi Arabia. Begging the query: Simply how a lot has he developed?

Replace 7:38: That is the ultimate race of the season, and the ultimate race for the lengthy profession of AlphaTauri Staff Principal Franz Tost. The veteran staff boss obtained an incredible clap-out as he walked to the grid for the final time:

Replace 7:36: Good morning F1 followers!