Abu Dhabi GP: MP Motorsport clench team title as Iwasa wins

Dams’ Ayumu Iwasa put in a stellar performance to keep the lead of the race, against MP Motorsport’s Felipe Drugovich on the final lap, as MP clenched the team’s title.

It was a good launch from the Dams front row as the pole sitter, Ayumu Iwasa, attempted to defend his lead from his teammate – Roy Nissany – who managed to slip past with a better start. However, by turn three, Nissany yielded track position to give his teammate the lead.

As the two Dams fought over the race lead, it allowed Drugovich to close in down the main straight. However, the world champion – in P3 – was unable to make a move down into the braking zone of the track’s first chicane (turns six and seven).

The virtual safety car was soon deployed as Campos’ Ralph Boschung rotated around, in the middle of turn nine. The Campos driver was unable to continue on which prompted the VSC.

On lap seven, Drugovich finally managed to make up a track position as Nissany fell out of DRS range down the main straight. While the Brazilian wasn’t able to make the move down the straight, the MP driver was

Two Red Bull Academy drivers, Dennis Hauger (Prema) and Liam Lawson (Carlin) pitted to exchange their worn soft tyres for fresh medium tyres, on lap eight. The race leader, Iwasa, pitted at the end of the lap to complete his pit stop requirement.

As a result of Iwasa’s earlier stop, Drugovich peeled into the pit lane at the end of lap nine in a bid to overcut Iwasa in the pit lane. In spite of that, the Brazilian filtered back out onto the circuit behind Iwasa.

Drugovich nearly had an intimate meeting with Iwasa’s gearbox, on lap 13, as the Brazilian missed his braking zone into the turn six and seven chicane. The MP driver was forced to regain control of his car as it squirmed into the braking zone, luckily he avoided contact with Iwasa.

However, as Drugovich went deep, it put him under-pressure from Lawson behind him who had DRS down into turn nine. Despite assistance from the DRS, Lawson had to back out of a potential move into turn nine and remain behind the 2022 F2 world champion.

Hitech’s Marcus Armstrong was issued with a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits, after the New Zealander was slapped with a black-and-white flag earlier on.

With 11 laps to go, a number of drivers started to peel into the pit lane to complete their mandatory stop as Virtuosi’s Marino Sato and Armstrong peeled into the pit lane. The two drivers exchanged their worn mediums for the soft compound tyres.

Trident’s Richard Verschoor peeled into the pit lane to complete his stop, at the end of lap 23, which left Virtuosi Racing’s Jack Doohan and Enzo Fittipaldi (Charouz) out in front. Between the two drivers, Doohan had a 16-second gap over Fittipaldi who had a seven-second gap over, third-placed, Iwasa.

Doohan finally pitted at the end of lap 25, as did Fittipaldi. The race leader filtered back onto the circuit ahead of Hauger, who was in P5, but he quickly retired from the race as his front-left tyre slipped off its suspension. Under its first real load, through the fast-right hander of turn four, the tyre disconnected.

Fortunately, the following drivers were able to avoid the tyre as it ran across the circuit – twice – before it bounced to a stop.

In a bid to clear away the loose tyre, race control opted to bring out the VSC to allow the track marshals out on track.

Race control soon decided to put the incident under investigation after the Virtuosi mechanics sent Doohan out in an unsafe condition.

The VSC was once again deployed as Campos’ Olli Caldwell was seen stopped out on track. However, the VSC was only deployed for a brief moment as the session went back to green-flag conditions on the same lap it was deployed: 32.

As the session went back to racing conditions, Drugovich remained under the gearbox of Iwasa. Despite his best attempts on the final lap, the Brazilian was not able to overtake the Japanese driver as the Dams driver closed the door on Drugovich, on the exit of turn nine.

That’s it for the article: Abu Dhabi GP: MP Motorsport clench team title as Iwasa wins!

That’s it, the season is done and dusted, what has been your favourite moment from the 2022 F2 season? Let us know in the comments!

Read more Formula Two here:

• Abu Dhabi GP: Iwasa takes pole in final F2 qualifying of 2022
• Dutch GP: Armstrong commands win in inaugural Holland sprint
• Belgium GP: Doohan tyre strategy secures first feature race win
• Belgian GP: Lawson secures F2 win after early move
• F2 Hungarian GP: Pourchaire wins after Armstrong’s pit lane woes

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.