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Sebastian Vettel says goodbye: "There are far bigger and far more important things than driving in circles"
Photo:
IMAGO/FLORENT GOODEN / IMAGO/PanoramaC
Rock star on farewell tour:
Last year, the most controversial Formula 1 finale for a long time took place in Abu Dhabi.
This year it was still about the runner-up World Championship, but all eyes were initially on someone who had nothing to do with this decision.
Sebastian Vettel
looked like a rock star.
On the one hand, this was due to the long blond hair, but above all to the attention that triggered the end of his career.
The driver colleagues lined up before the final race, father Norbert Vettel wiped away his tears.
Before the start, Alpine pilot Fernando Alonso passed Vettel, who was already in the car, and wished him all the best.
In the end it was enough for a point, when the black and white checkered flag fell, the four-time world champion turned his last donuts in front of the grandstand: "I'm sure I'll miss that more than I can imagine," said Vettel .
The result:
world champion Max Verstappen ended the season with a record of 15 wins, behind them Charles Leclerc, just ahead of Sergio Pérez in the second Red Bull, secured second place.
The Ferrari driver also finished second in the drivers' championship.
Read the race report here.
The start:
Verstappen and Pérez didn't let Leclerc take the lead.
Behind him, Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari grabbed Lewis Hamilton, but the Mercedes driver took a shortcut and got ahead of Sainz again.
He had to give back the position.
After a few more changes in the second row, the field had lined up as it corresponds to the “pecking order” (Toto Wolff) this season: Red Bull led by Verstappen in front of Ferrari (Leclerc in front of Sainz) in front of Mercedes with Russell and Hamilton, then Norris in the McLaren (lap 15).
Stayed out too long:
Almost ten laps later, the front runners were in the pits, but the order of the top six was then restored.
Vettel had moved up to seventh place, but had not yet changed tires at the time (24).
"It's getting worse and worse, we're just being overtaken," he radioed when Norris conceded him with the fresher tires.
Aston Martin called him in, much too late.
After standing 4.1 seconds, he returned to 19th place.
Vettel made up places until the end, but it was only enough for the points because Hamilton retired late due to hydraulic problems.
Hunting until just before the end:
Shortly after half of the race, Pérez went into the pits again, Ferrari switched Leclerc, now in second place, to a one-stop strategy.
Pérez then had to catch up around 20 seconds on the Monegasque and at first it looked like he would make it.
Verstappen was signaled to slow down the Ferrari if possible, but the Dutchman was in the lead for several seconds.
Pérez was initially the fastest man after the tire change, and Ferrari got nervous.
"Can you leave me alone, thanks," Leclerc radioed.
But he wasn't as easy prey as it first seemed.
Pérez lost time when overtaking Hamilton, he was 1.9 seconds behind Leclerc at the beginning of the last lap, it wasn't enough.
Not only Vettel says goodbye:
Nicholas Latifi, Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Schumacher were also on the starting grid for the last time.
While Ricciardo is supposed to return to Red Bull, Schumacher's last hope of a vacancy was dashed on Sunday.
Formula 2 junior driver Logan Sargeant secured the necessary super license on Sunday and, as expected, will start for Williams next year.
The American replaces Latifi there.
Schumacher made an involuntarily prophetic video when he waved to Vettel in the car on the edge of the route.
Below him, a banner ad said "out now."
One could also understand it differently.
Synchronous turning:
In the race, the two then provided a graceful choreography.
On lap 39, Schumacher's Haas touched the Williams, both spun synchronously off the track.
Both were able to continue, but Schumacher received a time penalty and ended up 16th.
Conciliatory words at the end:
On the eve of the final, Vettel had turned a special lap of honor.
He
invited the paddock to a night run on the 5.281 kilometer Yas Marina Circuit.
Formula 1 Managing Director Stefano Domenicali was there, Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack ran with them, as did Mick Schumacher.
Hundreds of white T-shirts were distributed in advance.
The inscription on the front read: "Thank you Seb."
The front of Vettel's T-shirts read: "Thank you F1".
After he had often criticized the racing series recently, the four-time world champion finally wanted to say thank you.
“I think there are far greater and far more important things than driving in circles.
But of course it's what we love.
And it's great if we can convey some really important values through it," he said on Sunday.