F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix result and reaction as Max Verstappen wins after Lewis Hamilton retires

Max Verstappen celebrated his second title with a victory at the final race of the season as Charles Leclerc beat Sergio Perez to second place

Sebastian Vettel On His Fellow Drivers

Max Verstappen completed his championship year by taking victory at Formula 1’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – as Lewis Hamilton’s record of winning in every season of his career went up in smoke when he retired with three laps remaining.

Verstappen finished 8.7 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who made a one-stop strategy work to secure runner-up spot in the standings, ahead of Sergio Perez. The Red Bull driver stopped one more time than Leclerc, but failed to catch the Monegasque in the closing stages and finished third. Carlos Sainz was fourth for Ferrari with Hamilton’s teammate George Russell fifth, leaving Mercedes behind the Italian team and third in the constructors’ championship.

Verstappen snatched victory from Hamilton a year ago to claim his maiden title in the most contentious of circumstances, but the Dutch driver has been the standout performer of 2022 and his win here under the thousands of bulbs that light up the Yas Marina Circuit was his 15th from 22 appearances. Hamilton left Abu Dhabi at the end of last season pondering if he would ever return, so aggrieved was he by Michael Masi’s officiating of the decider that cost him a record eighth crown. The seven-time world champion decided against retirement, but he will head into this season’s winter break having failed to register a single win – the first time that has happened in his career, which began in 2007 – and reflecting on a DNF that summed up a sour campaign. Elsewhere, Lando Norris finished sixth for McLaren, with teammate Daniel Ricciardo ninth in his last race for the British team. Sebastian Vettel started ninth and finished 10th in his final F1 appearance.

Follow all the reaction with our live blog below.

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

• World champion Max Verstappen celebrates record 15th win of the season
• Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc beats Red Bull’s Sergio Perez to second place
• Lewis Hamilton retires late on after reporting damage to car
• Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel in the points in final race of career
• George Russell handed five-second penalty for unsafe release from pit lane
• Mick Schumacher penalised after tangling with Nicholas Latifi

[20 November 2022 14:07 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Schumacher is handed a five-second penalty for causing that collision with Latifi.

[20 November 2022 14:07 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Lap 42 of 58:

So, with Russell and Sainz pitting, the running order at the moment is:

1. Verstappen

2. Leclerc

3. Hamilton

4. Perez

5. Sainz

6. Norris

7. Russell

[20 November 2022 14:05 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Lap 41 of 58:

A replay shows that Schumacher clipped the back of Latifi, and both cars span.

Meanwhile, Russell and Sainz both pit.

[20 November 2022 14:02 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Lap 39 of 58:

Yellow flag briefly!

Latifi is in the barrier, tangled up with Schumacher!

Schumacher pulls away from the scene and gets up and running again!

Latifi follows suit. His left rear tyre looks damaged.

[20 November 2022 13:57 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Lap 36 of 58:

On his fresh set of tyres, Perez sets the new fastest lap of the day.

He is in sixth, behind Russell (fourth) and Hamilton (fifth).

[20 November 2022 13:56 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Ferrari make a late call for Leclerc to stay out after seeing Perez pit for the second time today.

Leclerc, having just set the fastest lap, is now into second place. He’s five seconds off leader Verstappen.

[20 November 2022 13:54 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

“Starting to struggle with tyres a bit,” fourth-placed Sainz tells Ferrari.

Not quite as much fortune as his teammate Leclerc right now, then.

[20 November 2022 13:53 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Lap 33 of 58:

In third place, Leclerc has just set the fastest lap of the day.

He’s 1.5 seconds behind Perez.

[20 November 2022 13:52 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Lap 32 of 58:

“I don’t want to pit too early,” says Russell.

If he does pit, he will surely serve his five-second penalty then, rather than at the end of the race.

[20 November 2022 13:49 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Lap 30 of 58:

A nice move from Vettel sees him get past Gasly and regain 16th after he had dropped back.

Alonso pits, and unfortunately he won’t be coming back out due to some car trouble. That’s the former champion’s season over.

Out front, Perez says he’s being held up by Red Bull teammate Verstappen.