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The 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP will mark the end of the 22-race season, which has been less than eventful with it becoming evidently clear early that there won't be any championship battle this season. Red Bull had such a massive advantage early into the season that it became extremely hard for anyone else to even be remotely competitive.
Max Verstappen has won 18 of the 21 races this season and the Dutchman will be itching to win his 19th as well. The season comes to a close at the 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP, a race that tends to be quite uneventful more often than not.
So what can we expect from the last race weekend of the season? Let's take a look.
2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP: Preview
Key Storylines
#1 Mercedes vs Ferrari: The Battle for P2
It wasn't supposed to be much of a battle as Mercedes has more often than not, had the measure of Ferrari. However, the last few races have been quite disappointing for the German team, with the Italian brand closing the gap.
There are only four points between the two teams and it could go either way. Last season as well, the battle came down to the last before Ferrari sealed it. Could Ferrari do it again? We'll wait for the F1 Abu Dhabi GP to find that out.
#2 Max Verstappen's winning streak
Away from the spotlight, Max Verstappen is now already on a six-race win streak. To put things into context, this puts him sixth on the list of longest win streaks( headed by him already with 10 wins).
The level at which he's operating and racking up these records is going to be hard to beat for anyone in the future.
#3 Sergio Perez's future
In the short term, Red Bull might have felt assured of keeping Sergio Perez with the team for next season. Having said that, he's still not performing in qualifying and still leaving too much to do in the race.
On the other hand, Daniel Ricciardo seems to have the upper hand over Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri as well.
Perez will be looking to end the season on a high at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP as the sword is still hanging on his head with the season coming to a close.
Form guide
In form
Charles Leclerc would be excited for the F1 Abu Dhabi GP as the season comes to a close. It's not been an ideal one for him in any way. There have been far too many errors and far too many things that went wrong.
Having said that, the recent form and the high of Las Vegas where he almost won is certainly the kind of momentum that he will be hoping to carry into the race in Abu Dhabi.
Out of form
Mercedes seems to have lost its way in the last couple of races. The car was just not in the window in Brazil and it struggled in Las Vegas as well.
The F1 Abu Dhabi GP is a race that should suit the car and the team will be hoping to hold off Ferrari in the battle for P2 in the championship.
2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP: Predictions
Who will win the race?
The F1 Abu Dhabi GP isn't a race where we see too many surprises. It tends to be one of the more straightforward races. When that is the case, it's hard to see anyone usurping Max Verstappen on this track.
The Red Bull driver is the favorite to win his 19th race of the season this weekend.
The surprise of the weekend (Team)
While Mercedes and McLaren have held the edge over Ferrari on the more conventional tracks, Abu Dhabi might prove to be different. The Italian challenger is certainly strong on the straights and not too bad in the slow-speed sections.
With two massive straights at play and a slow-speed third sector, we're backing Ferrari to surprise a few and be a podium contender.
The surprise of the weekend (Driver)
Charles Leclerc would be buoyed by the kind of race execution Ferrari was able to accomplish in Las Vegas. Coming to the F1 Abu Dhabi GP, the driver will be hoping to help his team secure P2 in the championship.
Contrary to expectations, Ferrari could be the underdog in Abu Dhabi, the long straights should suit the car and so should the third sector. We're predicting a Leclerc pole position this weekend, an unfortunate addition to his tally of poles that did not convert to wins.
Disappointment of the weekend (Team)
Mercedes might just be the fourth-fastest team this weekend. The car tends to struggle on the straights and in the fast-speed sections, it tends to have a deficit compared to McLaren.
If that is the case and tire degradation does not become a factor at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP, then we're looking at a race weekend where the German team could be on the back foot.
Disappointment of the weekend (Driver)
Lewis Hamilton has not found the F1 Abu Dhabi GP to be his favorite hunting ground for a while now. Last season, he ended his campaign early with issues on his Mercedes and we all know what happened in 2021.
He's coming off two disappointing races and the final race might not be the best one for him.
