“Powerful finish of a Powerful Season.” It’s the message that confirmed up on the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Method 1 Staff’s official social media pages and it just about summarizes the complete 2022. Lewis Hamilton failed to complete the race within the Abu Dhabi season finale. In the meantime, George Russell needed to accept tP5.
The 2022 season completed and, for the primary time in 15 years, Lewis Hamilton didn’t win a single race. This has by no means occurred earlier than in his total F1 profession since his debut in 2007.
The 37-year-old spent a lot of the race within the fourth place, with Mercedes placing on laborious tires on the W13 and going for a one-stop technique. However whether or not it could’ve been the ace up their sleeve or not, Mercedes won’t ever know. Hamilton misplaced hydraulic energy in his automobile and needed to drive to the pits to complete three laps earlier than the top. With no factors in Abu Dhabi, the British driver finishes behind Carlos Sainz within the championship. The DNF pushed him right down to sixth place. With 240 factors in 2022, it’s his worst complete since Method 1 switched to the 25-point victory system.
Having to cope with a 5-second time penalty, George Russell completed fifth on the Yas Marina, which isn’t sufficient to place Mercedes forward of Ferrari within the Constructors Championship.
Two-time World Champion Max Verstappen marched all the best way to a brand new victory. Virtually 9 seconds behind him got here Ferrari’s, Charles Leclerc. The opposite Purple Bull driver, Sergio Perez, was third in Abu Dhabi.
The subsequent season might be totally different, Toto Wolff guarantees
“Initially, we’re gonna put these vehicles in reception at Braxley and in Brixworth to remind us each single day how troublesome it may be,” Toto Wolff mentioned for Sky Sports activities. “It’s uncooked, it’s unhealthy and it’s okay to really feel like this however subsequent 12 months we’re again,” the Staff Principal added.
The crew actually hoped for a grand finale on the Yas Marina following the 1-2 end in Brazil, when George Russell obtained his first victory in Method 1 and first for Mercedes this season.
The subsequent season will certainly be completely totally different, no matter what Mercedes will give you. It was Sebastian Vettel’s final race in Method 1. The four-time World Champion completed in factors earlier than going into retirement. Daniel Ricciardo did not safe a seat within the competitors for himself for the season that would be the longest to date. There might be 24 races subsequent 12 months, with the Las Vegas Grand Prix added to the schedule.