What's left to play for in final F1 race of 2023?

What’s left to play for in final F1 race of 2023?

Both Formula 1 championships were wrapped up some time ago but there is still a lot on the line ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Normally, it’s a driver’s final race in F1 or for a team but there is currently no driver movement for 2024 unless Logan Sargeant loses his Williams seat.

Instead, attention turns to the fights behind Red Bull and Max Verstappen in both championships, where prize money and pride are at stake.

No Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen in FP1: Who are the 10 Abu Dhabi rookies?When to watch the Abu Dhabi GP live on Sky Sports F1Stream every F1 race and more with NOW | Get Sky SportsMercedes vs Ferrari and the other fights for extra prize money

Underling Red Bull’s absolute dominance of F1 since the change in regulations nearly two years ago, Mercedes and Ferrari head to Abu Dhabi in a fight for what is a distant second-placed finish in the Constructors’ Championship for the second successive season.

Four points separate the two historical giants with Mercedes’ 392 points playing Ferrari’s 388.

Mercedes’ advantage over their Italian rivals had been 56 points back at the August summer break and so Ferrari have given themselves the chance to complete a turnaround and, as they did last year, finish in the runner-up position to Red Bull.

Although it’s relatively small consolation for either team given their grander ambitions in F1, finishing second compared to third does come with a useful additional prize-money boost, which is thought to be around $10m.

F1 teams’ end-of-season prize money allocation, which is not publicly disclosed, is based on their finishing position in the Constructors’ Championship, and not the Drivers’, therefore the higher the finish, the more money they will earn from 2023.

Only champions Red Bull and sixth-placed Alpine are absolutely guaranteed to finish in the places they start the weekend.

McLaren remain strong favourites for fourth but their difficult outing in Vegas has given Aston Martin, who finished fifth and ninth last weekend, an outside shot at overhauling them in the last round. McLaren’s advantage is 11 points.

Williams also look well set for seventh in what would be their best placing since 2017. Eight-placed AlphaTauri would need to score at least seven points to overhaul them, a total the Red Bull sister team haven’t achieved at a single race since June 2022.

AlphaTauri in turn have a useful five-point cushion over ninth-placed Alfa Romeo, whose advantage over last-placed Haas – who have scored just a solitary point in the last 12 events – is four points.

Which qualifying head-to-heads remain unsettled?

One qualifying hour left in F1 2023 this Saturday and just two team-mate head-to-heads in this area of the race weekend remain unsettled.

At Mercedes, George Russell still has a chance to tie Lewis Hamilton for the season if he outqualifies his team-mate for the second successive weekend, while the situation at AlphaTauri between Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will be settled one way or the other in their seventh full race weekend as team-mates.

Red Bull: Verstappen 19-2 PerezMercedes: Hamilton 11-10 RussellFerrari: Leclerc 14-7 SainzMcLaren: Norris 15-6 PiastriAston Martin: Alonso 18-3 StrollAlpine: Gasly 13-8 OconWilliams: Albon 20-0 SargeantAlphaTauri: Tsunoda 3-3 RicciardoAlfa Romeo: Bottas 15-6 ZhouHaas: Magnussen 7-14 HulkenbergCompetitive pride at stake in the drivers’ standings

The quirk of F1’s Drivers’ Championship is that while finishing first means absolutely everything, there’s little of significance attached to the other 19 finishing positions.

The season’s second and third-placed drivers do join the world champion in receiving a trophy at the FIA’s motorsport-wide prize-giving gala – which this year takes place in Baku on December 8 – and the results of Vegas confirmed Sergio Perez as the runner-up to Verstappen ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

How it stands in the Drivers’ Championship

Behind third? Well, with no prize money or prizes on offer, it’s all about competitive and personal pride, and there’s certainly plenty of that about on the F1 grid.

Spaniards Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso are tied on 200 points in fourth and fifth places respectively, with the Ferrari driver officially ahead of his Aston Martin countryman by virtue of his race win in Singapore.

McLaren’s Lando Norris – whose hitherto best career F1 championship placing is sixth – is five points back with Charles Leclerc 12 points adrift of his Ferrari team-mate’s fourth place.

Intra-team bragging rights meanwhile, will be at stake for 11th and 12th places where Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon are separated by just four points after the latter’s fine drive to fourth in Las Vegas.

Every full-time driver has already scored points this year too, something that doesn’t always happen in a season.

Verstappen looking to add to records

Verstappen has statistically had the most dominant season in F1 ever, with the most wins, podiums and points. He broke Sebastian Vettel’s 10-year record of most consecutive wins with his 10th triumph in a row at Monza and he’s on another remarkable run of six victories coming into Abu Dhabi.

A 19th win of 2023 on Sunday would mean he sets a winning percentage of 86.36 per cent this year, having beaten Alberto Ascari’s record of 75 per cent from 1952, when the Italian won six out of eight races.

“It’s not something that when I joined Formula 1, I need to have a 75 per cent win record over a season. These kinds of things come along when everything just works really well,” said Verstappen at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix when he secured beating Alberto Ascari’s record.

“I feel good in the car, the car is very competitive, and the team barely makes mistakes as well. So then you can get a season like we are having. So for me, it’s more about just enjoying the moment and trying to maximise every single opportunity.”

Another lesser-known streak Verstappen is on is the most consecutive pole position to race win conversions. The Dutchman’s current streak started at the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix and he’s done it 15 times since, three more than Michael Schumacher’s 12 conversions from 2003 and 2004.

He’s only failed to finish on the podium once this year – with fifth at the Singapore Grand Prix – and he will surpass Vettel’s 53 career wins if he’s victorious for a final time in 2023. Only Schumacher (91) and Hamilton (103) have stood on the top step of the podium more than that.

Farewell to Franz

Franz Tost is the second longest-serving team principal on the grid, behind Christian Horner, but the AlphaTauri team principal will step back from F1.

Tost has been in charge since AlphaTauri, previously named Toro Rosso, began in 2006 and hasn’t missed an event since, so Abu Dhabi will be his 351st race in the sport.

The 67-year-old will be replaced by former Ferrari assistant team principal Laurent Mekies from 2024 and has overseen the early F1 careers of drivers such as Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz.

“This will be Franz’s last race with the team, which is quite something as he’s been there since Day 1,” Ricciardo said.

“When I visited the factory for the first time earlier this year, plenty had changed since I last raced for them, but Franz has been a constant presence. It’s always been a pleasure to work with him, and you have to admire his dedication and will to win, which is as strong today as it was when I first started with the team back in 2012.”

Yuki Tsunoda is one of the more recent drivers to work with Tost, having joined F1 and AlphaTauri in 2021.

The Japanese driver, who will remain as Ricciardo’s AlphaTauri team-mate in 2024, says Tost has played a key role in the last three seasons.

“Franz Tost has been the only F1 team boss I’ve worked with. I feel I’ve been fighting for him this year, and I really want to beat Williams for him in his last race as team principal,” said Tsunoda.

“I appreciate what he has done. Without him, I wouldn’t be racing here, and without his advice, I wouldn’t have made as much progress as I have. Hopefully, we can finish on a good note, end the season the way we want, and be able to put a smile on his face.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Abu Dhabi GP schedule

Thursday November 23

11am: Drivers’ Press Conference

Friday November 24

7am: F2 Practice9am: Abu Dhabi GP Practice One (session starts at 9.30am)10.55pm: F2 Qualifying12.45pm: Abu Dhabi GP Practice Two (session starts at 1pm)2.15pm: The F1 Show

Saturday November 25

10.15am: Abu Dhabi GP Practice Three (session starts at 10.30am)12.15pm: F2 Sprint1.15pm: Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying build-up2pm: Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying4pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday November 26

9.10am: F2 Feature Race11.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday Abu Dhabi GP build-up1pm: The ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX3pm: Chequered Flag: Abu Dhabi GP reaction4pm: Ted’s Notebook

After the thrills of Las Vegas, Formula 1 heads to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit for the 2023 season finale and another stunning spectacle under the lights. Watch the Abu Dhabi weekend live on Sky Sports F1, with lights out on Sunday at 1pm. Stream F1 on Sky Sports with NOW

Max Verstappen has won the last three Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2020

Franz Tost has helped several drivers at the start of their F1 careers including Sebastian Vettel in 2007 and 2008

Franz Tost will leave his role as AlphaTauri team principal at the end of the season after 17 years in charge