As every season, the Abu Dhabi GP is the F1 season finale. Lots of overtakes, strategy and reliability are the main topics every year in this venue. However, the battle this year was not focused on the world champion but for the vice championship between LEC and PER.
Let's try do decrypt what has been the last race of this 2022 F1 season!
Grand Prix Evolution by driver
Qualifying
Track Evolution
Qualifying Prediction
Qualifying Results
VER claimed the last pole position of the season!
The RB were the strongest in qualifying given the circuit characteristics: Long straights to take advantage to their low drag configuration.
PER in first row, just +0.04s in front of LEC.
Both FER in second row with the though that they could have done more and battle for the pole.
MER in the third row with +0.6s behind the pole sitter. Toto explained they prepared the setup for the Sunday.
NOR continued with his strong performance being the fastest of the rest.
VET and RIC achieved the Q3 in their last qualifying! However, RIC had 3 position penalty from the last race after the collision with MAG in Interlagos.
MSC outqualified his team mate after an excellent Q1 from him.
Both AR, WIL and GAS in a low performance in this qualifying.
Ideal Lap
While VER put all the sectors together, SAI lost the P2 being +0.2s away from his ideal lap. This relegates him to P4.
Both MER achieved their maximum ponential in a fast lap.
VET , who finished in P9, could have won a position with his first lap. His Q3 best lap was +0.25s slower than his ideal.
RIC would have also overtook VET.
Even though GAS did not put his best lap together, it would have not been enough to be in Q2.
LEC had the best S3 of the big-six
Both MER and FER losing too much time in S2, they look too much draggy
PER lost the pole in S3 while keeping the record for S2.
HAM with the Mercedes set the fastest time of S1.
LEC with the best S3 of the session.
VER did not set any best sector but was the fastest overall! The consistency is the key!
Top Speed
Once again, both WIL and both RB with the maximum speed.
The Aston Martins -20kph compared with the WIL, but they extract more potential in the turns thanks to the aero load.
FER did a step forward in terms of top speed. They are in the mid field.
The MER in the same configuration as all the season, focused on maximising the aerodynamic performance.
Telemetry Analysis: VER vs. PER
As seen before, PER had the best S2 with late braking in T6-T7 and low drag.
We seen the RB strategy by giving PER a tow from VER to set that fastest S2.
He lost the pole in the last sector, probably due to dirty air from VER.
Telemetry Analysis: VER vs. SAI
As discussed before, SAI was closer from VER than what the final standings show
SAI had a good performance in S1, even faster than VER.
The differences in aero setup were crucial for VER to recover time from S1.
SAI also lost time in S3, where his team mate set the best time.
Race
Race Weather
Track temperatures decreasing with the race (night race).
No rain during all the race.
Low wind influence.
Race Results
VER claims his 15th victory in 2022, setting a new record for a driver with most wins in a single season (taking into account that nowadays there are more races per season).
After a good tyre management for a 1 stop strategy, LEC defended the P2 to finally achieve became the 2022 vice champion.
Even though PER and RB tried it, he could not reach LEC with fresher tyres. He has to satify himself with the P3 in the WDC.
SAI with the 2 stops can only look at the MER at the back, never look in front.
MER's race was promising but reliability and the unsafe release complicated their last race with the W13.
NOR and OCO with a solid race in P6 and P7.
STR with a good 2-stop strategy achieves the P8.
Points for both RIC and VET in their last race!
Lap Chart (Driver Evolution)
ALO suffered a fluid leakege in his cooling system.
HAM had a hidraulic problem with his gearbox
LAT had to retire the car after the crash with MSC in T5.
Accumulated Delta
Difficult race start for RUS being overtook by NOR.
SAI overtook HAM in T6 in the first lap but HAM cut T7. In T4 the team told him to give the position back. However, the following lap HAM overtook again SAI.
HAM suffered some technical problems with the engine in the first laps of the race losing the position to SAI and RUS.
The TOP 3, VER, PER and LEC had a clean start so they began the tyre management.
In the meanwhile, OCO, VET and ALO were battling for the P8.
PER suffered some degradation which enable LEC to made contact, so he was in danger of undercut.
To do so, PER had an early first stop to cover the LEC's undercut. At the same time, STR also did his first stop. This early stop was the initial commitment to a 2-stop strategy.
Both VER and LEC went for a long first stint to enable the 1-stop strategy.
VET was also long but with high degradation. However, he commit to the 1-stop losing too much time in the first stint.
PER's second stop was triggered by the same condition as the first stint, a LEC with better pace and now, with fresher tyres. LEC was told to do the opposite to PER, so he went for a 1-stop strategy whereas PER for 2.
SAI was in his own battle with the MER so did the second stop to cover RUS's undercut (he had 5s penalty after an unsafe release). Then, the main objective was to overtake HAM who was also in a 1-stop strategy.
PER had to recover +20s to reach LEC, having to overtake HAM. Despite being in fresher tyres, PER lost some time with HAM with a great defense from the britain.
When SAI was about to undertake HAM, the MER driver suffered a mechanical problem in his gearbox that retire him from the race.
At the end, and thanks of the time PER lost in traffic and with HAM, he was not able to reach LEC for the P2 in the race, but also for the P2 in the WDC.
The 1-stop strategy did only work for VER and LEC who did an incredible job in terms of tyre management.
VET and RIC battle for P9 until the finish line!
Race Pace per Tyre
Hard
PER could extract more performance from the tyres with the 2 stops strategy
VER and LEC in a 1 stop strategy had the same race pace during the second stint trying to last long their tyres.
SAI in a two stops strategy was a step behind LEC.
HAM suffered serious tyre degradation with the HARD.
NOR had the strongest pace of the second stint
VET had to manage the Hard for a long stint
ALO in stronger pace than his team mate.
Medium
The RB were the strongest through the first stint, being followed by the FER.
HAM pace was influenced by the engine problems he had in the first stint.
Race lap times
Note the greater degradation for PER in the first stint.
A great spike in the PER's 3rd stint due to the batlle with HAM.
PER tyres had degradation in the last 4-5 laps that avoids to reach LEC.
HAM tried the 1-stop losing a lot of time compared to SAI and RUS
Tyre Strategy
The strategy was between 1 and 2 strategy.
Whereas the 1 stop worked for VER and LEC, the best option would have been the 2-stop strategy, as seen with STR (2) and VET (1).
The HARD tyre was the C3, so it was not too hard for the race.
Most of the drivers started with the MEDIUM to have the flexibility to switch between 1 and 2 stops depending on the degradation.
MAG and BOT started with the HARD and GAS with the SOFT.
TSU and ZHO did the last stint with the SOFT.
And that's all for today!
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