Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2022 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Max Verstappen capped off his record-breaking season with a commanding victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, claiming his 15th win of the campaign to end the 2022 season in dominant fashion. The Red Bull driver controlled the race from pole position, leading home Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez to conclude a season that saw him obliterate the single-season wins record. Lando Norris set the fastest lap for McLaren while finishing seventh.

The season finale at Yas Marina Circuit provided a fitting conclusion to Verstappen's historic campaign. Starting from pole position, he led every lap to claim maximum points, demonstrating the total superiority that Red Bull had established after their early-season reliability troubles were resolved. Leclerc finished second for Ferrari, securing second place in the Drivers' Championship ahead of Perez, who completed the podium. The result confirmed Ferrari as runners-up in the Constructors' Championship, ahead of Mercedes in third.

The race marked the end of several significant chapters in Formula 1 history. Sebastian Vettel bid an emotional farewell to the sport in his final race, finishing 10th for Aston Martin after a 16-year career that included four World Championships and 53 Grand Prix victories. Daniel Ricciardo also departed the grid, at least temporarily, after losing his McLaren seat. Verstappen's 15 victories, combined with his consistency throughout the season, produced a championship-winning margin of 146 points over Leclerc - the largest winning margin since 2013. The season demonstrated that the new ground-effect regulations had successfully mixed up the competitive order, even if Red Bull's excellence ultimately produced another period of dominance. Verstappen's 454 points represented the highest single-season tally in F1 history, cementing 2022 as one of the most dominant individual seasons ever recorded.