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 13:43 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Lap 27 of 58:

Vettel, in his final F1 race, complains to Aston Martin that he is a “sitting duck” and being “eaten up”.

From eighth place, he pits... and it’s a poor one! He comes out in 16th!

The top six:

1. Verstappen

2. Perez

3. Leclerc

4. Sainz

5. Russell

6. Hamilton

Further back, Schumacher gets past Haas teammate Magnussen.

[20 November 2022 13:38 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Lap 23 of 58:

Confirmed: A five-second penalty for Russell for that unsafe release from the pit lane, where he impeded Norris.

[20 November 2022 13:37 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

A well-timed pit stop for Verstappen means he comes out in second place, behind Leclerc but ahead of Perez. Sainz is fourth, Russell fifth, Vettel sixth, Hamilton seventh.

But... Verstappen regains his lead as Leclerc now makes his first pit stop of the day.

It sounds like Russell will be penalised for that seemingly unsafe release from the pit lane.

[20 November 2022 13:34 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Lap 20 of 58:

Verstappen still leads – with Leclerc seven seconds behind – but complains to Red Bull: “Front right is *****.”

And... Verstappen will pit.

[20 November 2022 13:32 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Hamilton is the latest driver to pit. He times the stop fairly well, and comes out in ninth.

However, there’s concern that his vehicle’s floor may be damaged...

[20 November 2022 13:31 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Lap 18 of 58:

Russell might be penalised for an unsafe release from the pit stop... He seemed to impeded McLaren’s Norris.

With these pit stops, the order is now:

1. Verstappen

2. Leclerc

3. Hamilton

4. Perez

5. Vettel

[20 November 2022 13:28 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Now Russell pits, too.

[20 November 2022 13:27 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

“Fronts [tyres] are gone, consider Plan B!” Russell tells Mercedes...

Perez now pits.

[20 November 2022 13:26 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Lap 16 of 58:

Ocon, Stroll, Tsunoda, Albon and Gasly are among the relatively small group of drivers to have pitted.

No one in the top 10 has yet, other than Ocon.

[20 November 2022 13:23 · Alex Pattle]

F1 LIVE: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix updates

Lap 14 of 58:

“There’s something up with the car, mate,” Hamilton insists to Mercedes.

Verstappen is nearly five seconds ahead of Perez now.

Leclerc trails Perez by 1.8 seconds, with Sainz 3.6 behind his Ferrari teammate.