Norris and Ferrari flawless in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen disappoints

Verstappen throws away possible podium

"What if...?" It's a common question after the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Verstappen started from P4 and looked to be one of the favourites for the podium, but ended those hopes at the start of the race with an overly eager move on Oscar Piastri. The Dutchman managed to recover reasonably well and finish the race in sixth, but there could have been a much better result.

Another big 'what if' concerned Charles Leclerc, who had to start from the last row on the grid after his time in qualifying was deleted, and he also suffered a ten-place grid penalty. The Ferrari driver had a mega start and made up 11 places on the first lap, before quickly working his way to the front. He finished in third, but the Monegasque driver will wonder if the battle for the constructors' title might have ended differently had he started from the first few rows.

Another driver who could have competed for the podium, against all odds, was Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver started his last race for Toto Wolff's team from 16th place after a disappointing qualifying session, but he managed to slice his way through the grid and finish in P4 with one last great race for the German team.

F1 driver ratings after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

*Colapinto and Perez did not receive a grade due to an early DNF.

This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy

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