Max Verstappen finishes the F1 season with a win in Abu Dhabi
Max Verstappen finished the 2023 f1 season with a victory on Sunday in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The reigning champion picked up his fourth win in a row at the Yas Marina Circuit and his seventh consecutive victory in the season.
Verstappen started the race on pole position with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari in second. He kept his lead on the race's first turn but was forced to defend with all his might to keep Leclerc from taking the top spot on two occasions in the first lap.
It got more comfortable for the 26-year-old after the early scare. He had built up a second-and-a-half lead after ten laps. The heat on the circuit was causing many to struggle with their tires. Verstappen also warned his Red Bull team that his front right tire was causing a problem after 12 laps.
The Dutch-Belgian driver dropped fourth after his first pitstop but had already passed Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin to take second spot after 21 laps. Eventually, he retook his lead when race leader Yuki Tsunoda went for a pitstop in his AlphaTauri.
It was another easy victory for Verstappen as he drove toward his 19th victory of the season. He is the first driver to lead for 1000 laps in a single F1 season. He surpassed the German Sebastian Vettel in the all-time table of most wins with the 54th of his career.
Verstappen's teammate Sergio Pérez finished second, meaning that just like in the first race of the season, Red Bull finished with a one-two.
The 2024 F1 season will start in Bahrain on March the second. Verstappen will be aiming for a fourth title in a row.
