F1: What Abu Dhabi Taught Us About 2023 And Beyond

When the title is won before the final race, the F1 season finale has the air of something resembling the last day of a school year.

Going through the motions, finishing off the last few assignments, but everyone has almost checked out and minds have turned to the break, and the year ahead.

With so many changes coming for F1 in 2023, with driver lineups, sporting sanctions, and new calendar additions, it was natural that much of the discussion in Abu Dhabi revolved around the future of the sport.

The race itself followed a structure we have become rather familiar with throughout 2022 - a double Red Bull podium, a dominant Max Verstappen win, an ailing Mercedes, and some exciting midfield action. But, on a relatively dull final day of the season, the main intrigue came from looking ahead to 2023 - and what we could expect based on this race and the other 21 this season.

Abu Dhabi F1 GP: What we can learn for years ahead

Let's go team-by-team. For Red Bull, this was much the same as they have enjoyed for much of this year, with Max Verstappen enjoying a routine 15th win of the season, and a second podium for Sergio Perez. After the tensions in Brazil between the pair, it was interesting that Red Bull appeared to fall for Ferrari's bluff when they called Perez in for a second pit stop, throwing away a first ever 1-2 in the drivers championship in the process.

The F1 class of 2022 (Photo: Shutterstock)

Which brings us to Ferrari, who showed (far too late) the first signs that they may be learning from their strategic mistakes early this season. Their well-executed pit stop strategy for Charles Leclerc sealed P2 in the championship for the first time since 2018 for the Scuderia and, with rumours that team principal Mattia Binotto may be departing over the winter break, their seemingly improved strategic operations will have fans cautiously optimistic that 2023 could be an improvement.

For Mercedes, it was a bit of a familiar weekend. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell did what they could on a tough day, but P5 for Russell and a first mechanical DNF since 2018 for Hamilton just about summed up their season. They have shown signs of promise in recent weeks - not least when they took their only win of the season in Sao Paulo - but they will hope for improved fortunes in 2023. One thing that is for certain is that their drivers are at the top of their game.

Alpine sealed P4 in the constructors' championship ahead of McLaren but, after a bittersweet divorce process, will likely be content with having parted ways with Fernando Alonso. Pierre Gasly will arrive for 2023 but, once again, showed little in the poor AlphaTauri. It is hard to judge whether Gasly has merely struggled in an uncompetitive car this year, or whether his level has dropped from the brilliance of 2020 and 2021 - Alpine will hope that it is the former, as they look to reach the level of the "big three" in 2023.

For McLaren, it was not to be in their fight for fourth place in the championship, and Daniel Ricciardo leaves the team after a bitterly disappointing two year spell in Woking. The tribulations of Ricciardo have sullied things at McLaren this year but one thing that Abu Dhabi, and 2022 as a whole, proved to us is that Lando Norris is one of the brightest talents in the sport and, if the car is there for him, expect him to do big things in 2023.

Daniel Ricciardo bids farewell to F1 - for now, at least (Photo: Shutterstock)

The rest of the chasing pack played out largely as expected. The fallout between Mick Schumacher and Haas has been surprisingly harsh, and it seems as though both are happy to be finished with the other - even if it will cost Schumacher his F1 seat. Alfa Romeo just about held on to sixth place in the championship, but their late season form will be worrying, given how strongly they started 2023. The team will need to explore how better to approach next season to ensure their performance does not drop off next season as dramatically it did this year.

Williams followed a similar route to Alfa Romeo - but they started from an even lower point at the start of the season. Competitive at the season's opening, fighting for points and regularly finishing ahead of the likes of Haas, they are now comfortably the slowest team on the grid.

Logan Sargeant's energy will be welcomed at Williams for 2023 - though he seems like a lovely bloke, Nicholas Latifi was simply no longer cutting it at the highest level, and Sargeant's matchup with Alex Albon will be one of the most fascinating storylines of 2023. Albon has flown under the radar after an excellent first season back in F1 this year.

F1 will be without both Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo for 2023 (Photo: Shutterstock)

Which brings us to the story of the weekend - Sebastian Vettel's retirement from F1. He departs Aston Martin after what can sadly only be deemed a failed experiment, with the team moving backwards from their Racing Point days. Vettel nearly snatched P6 in the constructors championship for his team, but Daniel Ricciardo held on valiantly to his ninth place to deny Aston Martin.

Vettel was given a worthy send off, with pre- and post-race ceremonies oriented around the German driver. The four-time world champion was emotional as he drew time on his F1 career but one thing we can learn from this weekend is that his fellow legends Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are not so confident that Vettel has fully completed his F1 story.

So, what have we learned? Well...that there are a lot of unknowns. Alpine look best placed to join the fight at the top of the championship, but reliability concerns and question marks over Pierre Gasly could slow them down. McLaren, if they can give him the right car, have the best driver outside of the "big six" on the grid in Lando Norris, and he could do big things if their pace improves next year - but that is a big "if".

Mercedes will hope that 2023 will be more "Brazil" than "Abu Dhabi", while Ferrari fans can only hope that this race was a positive sign of how the team will improve in the strategy department. Next year sees three full-time rookies join the grid (Logan Sargeant, Nyck de Vries, and Oscar Piastri), and the return of Nico Hulkenberg with Haas. Fernando Alonso will take on a new challenge at Aston Martin, while the F1 grid will be without both Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo for the first time in over a decade.

There is a feeling of change in the air in F1 - and Abu Dhabi showed us that there are more questions than answers ahead of 2023. From a fan's perspective, that is an exciting way to enter the new season.

Over and out, 2022.

Wrapping up from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

• Driver of the day: For the first time in a long time, Ferrari pulled off a strategic masterclass in bluffing Red Bull into a second pit stop for Sergio Perez. At the centre of it all was a brilliant drive by Charles Leclerc, who earned P2 in this year's championship.
• Day to forget: After the highest of highs with a 1-2 in Brazil, Mercedes came crashing back down to earth with a mediocre day in Abu Dhabi. George Russell was anonymous in P5, while Lewis Hamilton's afternoon was scruffy before his retirement.

SEE ALSO: Sebastian Vettel Retires From F1 With Touching Message

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