The last round of the F1 World Championship for 2022 is set for this weekend in Abu Dhabi. Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing has already clinched the Driver’s Championship, but second place is still up for grabs. Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc both have 290 points, and Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari could both take second in the Constructors’ Championship. Verstappen returns to the site of his controversial title from 2021, and the race will once again use the Yas Marina Circuit. It runs 3.23 miles with 16 corners as well as some fast straights. The first corner starts a sinuous collection of bends, leading to lateral acceleration of as much as 4 g and speeds over 155 mph. The middle section has two lengthy straights, and the last section has tight twists and turns that will grind the tires. Don’t miss the F1 betting odds for each driver as you contemplate your wagering for the weekend.
Formula 1 News: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview
| Driver | Odds |
| Max Verstappen | +130 |
| Lewis Hamilton | +275 |
| George Russell | +500 |
| Sergio Perez | +1100 |
| Charles Leclerc | +1200 |
| Carlos Sainz | +1800 |
| Lando Norris | +25000 |
| Valtteri Bottas | +75000 |
| Fernando Alonso | +20000 |
| Esteban Ocon, Sebastian Vettel | +50000 |
| Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll | +100000 |
| Kevin Magnussen, Pierre Gasly | +150000 |
| Alex Albon, Guanyu Zhou, Mick Schumacher, Yuki Tsunoda | +200000 |
| Nicholas Latifi | +400000 |
Given the nonsense that marked Mercedes’ attempts to put competitive cars on the road this year, the fact that the company has a shot to move up to second in the Constructors’ Championship represents a major comeback. The upgrade that Mercedes released for the United States Grand Prix elevated it to second in pace on three extremely different courses: Austin, Mexico City and Interlagos. Indeed, it even brought George Russell his first Grand Prix win last week. Mercedes has been able to take advantage of the slowdown in Ferrari’s development, as the team has moved its focus to 2023 because of budgetary limits this year.
Mercedes has a reason to keep pushing the W13, because the better the understanding it can get of the 2022 car, the better the chances that the same mistakes will not recur in 2023. The upgrade, though, has allowed Mercedes to creep within 19 points of Ferrari for second place. Mercedes has only outscored Ferrari by more than 19 points in Azerbaijan and France, and Ferrari had to retire at least one car in each of those races. Last week brought a 1-2 finish for Mercedes ahead of 3-4 finish by Ferrari, but that only brought a 17-point advantage. This week will likely feature a faster car from Red Bull, and this course is also suited to Ferrari’s car as well. The course will test Mercedes more rigorously than any other course has since the installation of the upgrade at Austin.
In the Drivers’ Championship, the chase for second place involves some potential internal drama at Red Bull. Verstappen kept Sergio Perez from having a chance to move ahead of Charles Leclerc for second, so we will see if bad blood between the teammates shows up at Abu Dhabi.
In the midfield, Alpine has moved 19 points ahead of McLaren, and that 19-point deficit looms much larger than the one between Mercedes and Ferrari, because midfield cars don’t generally grab podium positions. Aston Martin has crept within five points of Alfa Romeo in the race for sixth after an awful start to 2022. Alfa Romeo isn’t really slumping; they are just seeing other teams lighten their cars to get closer to Alfa Romeo, which started 2022 basically at the minimum weight. Sebastian Vettel is running his last race, so expect Aston Martin to ride that momentum, but Valtteri Bottas is also running well with Alfa Romeo, so they may be able to keep that lead.
The sport will say good-bye to Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Mick Schumacher and Nicholas Latifi. Logan Sargeant could join Williams next year, but he will need to add 12 more superlicense points to race at the F1 level.
Formula 1 Betting Odds
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