Verstappen seals dominant 2023 F1 season with Abu Dhabi win

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen rounded out his most dominant season ever, to date, with yet another win as he reigned victorious in Abu Dhabi.

When the chequered flag fell on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the 2023 Formula One season, and as the fireworks lined the pit straight, Verstappen completed his championship-winning season with yet another win.

The Dutchman lined up in pole position, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and traversed the opening corners ahead of his Ferrari rival. From there, Leclerc made some attempt to steal first from the reigning world champion. However, Verstappen was untouchable as he maintained the race lead and he controlled the pace of the race.

This win rounds out a dominant season from the triple world champion, who secured 19 wins of the 23-race season, beating the previous record – held by Verstappen – for most wins secured in a season. In turn, the victory in Abu Dhabi promoted the Dutch driver as the third most successful driver of all time with 54 wins, surpassing Sebastian Vettel who had 53 career wins to his name.

Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez finished the race in second place but he soon dropped down to fourth place, behind Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell who occupied second and third respectively, as a result of a five-second time penalty.

Leclerc was in line to secure second place regardless but he allowed Perez to pass him, in the latter stages of the race, to boost Ferrari’s chances to secure second in the constructors championship. However, Russell remained within the five-second mark of Perez’s penalty to secure Mercedes P2 in the team’s table, three points ahead of Ferrari in third.

McLaren occupied fifth and sixth with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri respectively, ahead of Fernando Alonso whose seventh-place finish secured the Spaniard fourth place in the drivers standings – matching Leclerc on points.

Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda finished the race in eighth place which meant the points haul was not enough to provide the team an opportunity to jump Williams in the constructors. In turn, the Grove-based team will finish the season in seventh ahead of the Faenza-based team (eighth).

Having already secured third in the driver’s standings, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished the race in ninth – aiding his team to second place – ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll who completed the point scorers.

That’s all for the article; Verstappen seals dominant 2023 F1 season with Abu Dhabi win!

Read more Formula 1 here:

• Verstappen qualifies on pole ahead of Leclerc at Abu Dhabi GP
• Russell tops final F1 practice session of season in Abu Dhabi
• The race REDEEMED the Las Vegas Grand Prix
• Las Vegas GP: Verstappen secures win as Perez cements second place in championship
• Leclerc on pole of Las Vegas GP ahead of Sainz and Verstappen
• Russell leads Piastri and Sargeant in FP3 of Las Vegas GP

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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.