F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix LIVE: Race results as Max Verstappen wins season finale

Follow all the reaction from the final grand prix of the 2023 Formula 1 season at the Yas Marina Circuit

Lewis Hamilton says Red Bull chief Christian Horner is 'stirring things' over team move claims

Max Verstappen ended the most dominant season in Formula One history with another victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as Mercedes clung on to second place in the constructors’ championship by the skin of their teeth – and a £10milllion cash boost.

Verstappen - who became the first man to lead 1,000 laps in a single F1 season - failed to triumph at just three of the 22 rounds staged, and his latest win takes him to 54 for his career, leaving only Lewis Hamilton (103 wins) and Michael Schumacher (91) ahead of him.

The Dutchman finished 17 seconds clear of team-mate Sergio Perez but the Red Bull driver was demoted to fourth following a five-second penalty for a collision with Lando Norris.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was promoted to second with Mercedes’ George Russell third. Lewis Hamilton finished ninth in the other black-liviried machine with Mercedes three points clear of Ferrari in the standings to land a £105million reward, rather than £95m.

Follow reaction from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with The Independent

F1 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX - RACE UPDATES

• Max Verstappen wins the Abu Dhabi GP; Leclerc 2nd; Russell 3rd
• Click HERE for the top-10
• When does the 2024 F1 season start?
• SLOW STOP! Lando Norris loses position to George Russell in the pits
• START! Max Verstappen brilliantly holds off Charles Leclerc to keep lead
• Max Verstappen started on pole position; Leclerc 2nd; Piastri 3rd
• Lewis Hamilton insists he cannot wait for the 2023 season to be over

[26 November 2023 11:48 · Kieran Jackson]

Lewis Hamilton to start down the order in Abu Dhabi as Max Verstappen claims pole

Qualifying report

Lewis Hamilton said there was something wrong with his Mercedes after he qualified only 11th for Sunday’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.

As Max Verstappen put his Red Bull on pole position for the final race of his all-conquering campaign – with Charles Leclerc second and Oscar Piastri third – Hamilton was left starting at another poor performance in his underperforming machinery.

The seven-time world champion, facing up to a second season without a victory, finished six tenths behind Verstappen and a third-of-a-second back from team-mate George Russell, who qualified fourth.

Hamilton’s failure to progress to Q3 – as he gloomily predicted here on Friday night – leaves the fight between Mercedes and Ferrari for second place in the constructors’ championship firmly in the balance.

Full report below:

[26 November 2023 11:39 · Kieran Jackson]

Constructors’ Championship ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:

Battle to look out for: who will finish P2 between Mercedes and Ferrari?

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1) Red Bull - 822 points (champions)

2) Mercedes - 392 points

3) Ferrari - 388 points

4) McLaren - 284 points

5) Aston Martin - 273 points

6) Alpine - 120 points

7) Williams - 28 points

8) AlphaTauri - 21 points

9) Alfa Romeo - 16 points

10) Haas - 12 points

[26 November 2023 11:20 · Kieran Jackson]

Christian Horner reveals talks with Lewis Hamilton’s father over Red Bull seat

Christian Horner revealed that Lewis Hamilton’s father Anthony made an enquiry about Sergio Perez’s seat at Red Bull earlier this season.

Following on from an interview Horner gave saying that a representative of Hamilton had been in touch about joining the world champions, Hamilton had his say on Thursday – insisting that nobody from his team has been in touch and, in fact, Horner messaged him on an old phone.

The Mercedes driver added that Horner was simply “stirring things.”

Yet the Red Bull team principal looked to put the speculation to bed by divulging that it was Hamilton’s father and former manager Anthony who had touched base.

Full quotes below:

[26 November 2023 10:58 · Kieran Jackson]

Driver Standings ahead of this final race!

Battle to look out for: Who will finish fourth between Sainz, Alonso, Norris and Leclerc?

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1) Max Verstappen - 549 points (champion)

2) Sergio Perez - 273 points

3) Lewis Hamilton - 232 points

4) Carlos Sainz - 200 points

5) Fernando Alonso - 200 points

6) Lando Norris - 195 points

7) Charles Leclerc - 188 points

8) George Russell - 160 points

9) Oscar Piastri - 89 points

10) Lance Stroll - 73 points

11) Pierre Gasly - 62 points

12) Esteban Ocon - 58 points

13) Alex Albon - 27 points

14) Yuki Tsunoda - 13 points

15) Valtteri Bottas - 10 points

16) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points

17) Daniel Ricciardo - 6 points

18) Zhou Guanyu - 6 points

19) Kevin Magnussen - 3 points

20) Liam Lawson - 2 points

21) Logan Sargeant - 1 point

21) Nyck de Vries - 0 points

[26 November 2023 10:43 · Kieran Jackson]

Mick Schumacher returns to racing with Alpine in 2024

Mick Schumacher has been confirmed as a driver for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship next year.

The 24-year-old has been present in the Formula 1 paddock this season as a reserve driver for Mercedes, driving in the simulator and providing cover for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

The German driver, son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, was dropped from his F1 race seat at Haas at the end of the 2022 season after two years but after experiencing a year without racing in 2023, Schumacher will race for Alpine in their Hypercar squad next season.

More detail below:

[26 November 2023 10:30 · Kieran Jackson]

Walking with the stars: Inside the white lines of the Las Vegas Grand Prix grid

Feature by Kieran Jackson

It’s Saturday night in Sin City, 9pm local time. One hour until lights out. Walking out of the media centre, across the car park of the Tuscany Suites and Casino, and up through the various security checkpoints, you arrive at the highly coveted, yet strangely downplayed open space that is the Formula One paddock. Halfway down, between the garages of Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo, lies the grid access lane: a portal to the forthcoming chaos.

There is a chill in the air. A cool 15C temperature which, predicted all week, is about to play havoc with tyres in the 50 laps ahead. A pause for breath and then the steel-faced American bodyguard gives the go-ahead. On you stroll, pretending you belong here. Welcome to the curiously flummoxing experience that is the F1 pre-race grid.

Full piece below:

[26 November 2023 10:22 · Kieran Jackson]

A reminder of the starting grid for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:

1) Max Verstappen

2) Charles Leclerc

3) Oscar Piastri

4) George Russell

5) Lando Norris

6) Yuki Tsunoda

7) Fernando Alonso

8) Nico Hulkenberg

9) Sergio Perez

10) Pierre Gasly

11) Lewis Hamilton

12) Esteban Ocon

13) Lance Stroll

14) Alex Albon

15) Daniel Ricciardo

16) Carlos Sainz

17) Kevin Magnussen

18) Valtteri Bottas

19) Zhou Guanyu

20) Logan Sargeant

[26 November 2023 10:19 · Kieran Jackson]

Lewis Hamilton to start down the order in Abu Dhabi as Max Verstappen claims pole

Qualifying report

Lewis Hamilton said there was something wrong with his Mercedes after he qualified only 11th for Sunday’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.

As Max Verstappen put his Red Bull on pole position for the final race of his all-conquering campaign – with Charles Leclerc second and Oscar Piastri third – Hamilton was left starting at another poor performance in his underperforming machinery.

The seven-time world champion, facing up to a second season without a victory, finished six tenths behind Verstappen and a third-of-a-second back from team-mate George Russell, who qualified fourth.

Hamilton’s failure to progress to Q3 – as he gloomily predicted here on Friday night – leaves the fight between Mercedes and Ferrari for second place in the constructors’ championship firmly in the balance.

Full report below:

[26 November 2023 10:17 · Kieran Jackson]

F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix!

Good morning and welcome to live coverage on The Independent of the 22nd and final race of the 2023 F1 season!

21 down, one to go. Max Verstappen starts on pole for the 12th time this season, with Charles Leclerc alongside him on the front row. Oscar Piastri is P3, with George Russell fourth. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, starts down the order in 11th.

Can anyone stop Max’s march to a 19th victory of the season? Stay right here for all the build-up - lights out is at 1pm (GMT).

F1-ABU DHABI (AP)