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The 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP ended with Max Verstappen standing on the top of the podium with win no.19 to his name. Right in line with the theme of the 2023 F1 season, the Red Bull driver got the lead at the start and then managed the race perfectly until the end. The race was hardly eventful with maybe a few battles here and there.
Overall though, Charles Leclerc was unable to get Ferrari the no.2 position in the constructors even though he did put together a valiant drive at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP.
George Russell was P3 for Mercedes and proved to be pivotal in helping the team beat the Italian squad. With the final race and the season now done and dusted, what did we learn? Let's take a look.
2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP: What did we learn?
#1 Max Verstappen is the runaway favorite for next season as well
It's almost damning that Red Bull has not even developed its current challenger after the first few races and it still continues to cruise to wins. Max Verstappen had next to no scares at the 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP as he just got the job done once again.
The Red Bull-Max Verstappen combination is a handful even when the car is maybe a 10th slower. With a dominant car, it's almost unfair. Can teams catch up? They can, anything can happen in F1. But it would be a pleasant surprise if Red Bull did not win the first race next season.
#2 Ferrari and Charles Leclerc go into the winter on a high
Charles Leclerc looked down and out after a few races where he truly had some shocking results. He has, however, scripted an impressive comeback lately. The P2 finishes in the last two races, along with being the next-level team player at the end of the Abu Dhabi GP to help secure P2 in the championship was just heartwarming.
It's always a feel-good moment when Charles Leclerc wins and if he's able to get that done next season, it would be just brilliant to watch.
#3 Lewis Hamilton had a shocker of a weekend
Lewis Hamilton seemed mentally checked out after qualifying yesterday. It was a very strange race where there were pockets in which he looked impressive and then there were those where he was just below average.
Getting outfoxed by Fernando Alonso, who was arguably in a much slower car, is something that should surprise everyone. So should the lack of intent when the P2 in the championship was on the line.
When push came to shove and Mercedes needed its drivers to stand up at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP, it wasn't Lewis who did that.
#4 Red Bull was smart not to jump the gun with Daniel Ricciardo
The F1 Abu Dhabi GP has shown that Red Bull was probably smart to not pull the trigger on a Daniel Ricciardo-Sergio Perez swap prematurely. After the race in Mexico, many felt that the time was up for the Mexican driver as Ricciardo had a brilliant race.
Unfortunately for the Australian, he has been unable to find that groove again. He's been decent as compared to Yuki Tsunoda overall, but that surely won't cut it in an audition for a Red Bull seat. To make the entire thing come full circle, Tsunoda produced a storming drive at the 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP to put Ricciardo in his place.
In 2024, Red Bull will be keeping a keen eye on all three of these drivers to see where they stack up.
#5 Alpine is a team on the decline with unnecessary driver friction
After the final race, one can't help but admit that Alpine appears to be a team on the decline. It was the fourth best team last season and came into this season hoping to consolidate that position.
On the contrary, the car was probably sixth or seventh fastest this weekend in the race. With AlphaTauri aiming to be more aligned with Red Bull in car concept, it only spells trouble for the French team.
To add to this, some of the team radios from Pierre Gasly were just hard to understand. In the last couple of races, Gasly seems to have come on the team radio with a certain red mist if something has not gone his way.
There have been multiplied races now where he has been irked by Esteban Ocon's place in the race or when he jumped him. Overall, if we look at this team, one almost worries about what the future holds for Alpine in 2024.
