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Formula 1
Abu Dhabi GP
F1 Abu Dhabi GP Live Commentary and Updates - Race
Minute-by-minute updates for the 2023 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
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The curtain falls on the 2023 F1 season with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc share the front row of the grid with Oscar Piastri and George Russell tucked in behind.
FP2 was the only practice session to take place in representative conditions but was interrupted by over half an hour of red flag delays, meaning teams have minimal long-run data heading into the finale.
While Leclerc and Russell start up the order, the constructors' battle between Mercedes and Ferrari was complicated with Lewis Hamilton starting P11 and Carlos Sainz P16.
The Yas Marina race will get under way at 1pm GMT.
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While struggling for pace, and unnoticed by the cameras, Norris has moved past Tsunoda into P4.
Pit stop
No one-stop plan for Perez. He stops and drops to P6. He will be flying now, however.
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"Try to go as long as possible. Waiting for a safety car," Ferrari tell Sainz.
The plan has been revealed.
The plan has been revealed.
Ferrari could be growing concerned about Perez here. The Mexican is not losing pace and holds a 13s advantage over Leclerc.
At present, Ferrari are ahead of Mercedes in the standings, but Sainz still needs to pit. It could go any way still.
At present, Ferrari are ahead of Mercedes in the standings, but Sainz still needs to pit. It could go any way still.
The Alonso vs Hamilton incident won't be investigated by the stewards. On we go.
Elsewhere, Albon has been shown the black and white flag for track limits. He's currently 13th and now at risk of a five-second penalty if he goes off track once more.
Hmm, Alonso could be in trouble here. When he came out of the pits, right in front of Hamilton, he appeared to slow before the braking zone into Turn 5. Hamilton accuses him of brake testing him. It has been noted by the stewards.
But Alonso is back ahead of Hamilton, repaying the favour using DRS and diving ahead into Turn 6.
And there's the move. With DRS and into Turn 6, Leclerc completes a simple move. Russell will be the next driver to cruise past Tsunoda.
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Hamilton, who stopped a lap earlier than Alonso, gets by the Aston driver to take 11th. "We have the slowest car on the straight by far!" is the Spaniard's assessment.
On his apparent one-stop strategy, Tsunoda has returned to P3 but has Leclerc within DRS range. On far fresher tyres, the Ferrari driver should have no problem here.
A lap after Russell's move on Stroll, Norris pulls off the same move using DRS to get by the Canadian. The McLaren is up to sixth but lost 2s to Russell in that lap.
Pit stop
Piastri and Alonso now file into the pits to continue the shuffle.
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"You can box Checo ahead of me if you want," says Verstappen. He has a 16.1s lead so can afford to wait longer.
Russell uses DRS to get by the yet-to-stop Stroll and move into seventh, but he has a 1s gap to Leclerc after his stop.
Through all that, we're now watching a Red Bull 1-2.
Pit stop
In comes Leclerc, who has no choice but to respond to Russell's stop. It's all happening now!
Pit stop
Mercedes respond immediately to Norris' stop. Russell questioned if Mercedes were sure the one-stop wouldn't work but concedes defeat and stops. He comes out right in front of Norris in P9.
Pit stop
That has swung open the second pitstop window, as Hulkenberg pits on the same lap as Norris. The German returns on hards into 18th.
Pit stop
In comes Norris for the second time. Hards off and a fresh set of the same compound on. A 2.3s stop is much more like it this time for McLaren.
He comes back out in P10.
He comes back out in P10.
Pit stop
Gasly makes his second pitstop, which is earlier than expected having lasted just 15 laps on that stint, and it is a slow pitstop that puts him behind Ricciardo into 18th. It has not been a good race for the French driver so far.
Pit stop
Ricciardo, hamstrung by an early pitstop for the tear-off in a brake duct, makes his second pitstop for another set of hards and comes out in 18th.
With Russell closing in on him, Leclerc is struck with his second track limits warning of the race. One more and he will get a penalty.
Pit stop
Speaking of, Bottas pits at the end of lap 29, swapping his hards for mediums, as he gambles on the one-stop strategy. He comes out in 19th.
Stroll takes 10th off Ricciardo using DRS before he gets to Turn 6. With the first pitstop cycle over, things are settling down again.
Sainz passes Bottas for 14th and next up he has the pair of Alpines. The Mercedes vs Ferrari fight in the constructors' championship is still finely poised.
Perez wastes no time with making his move. He dives down the inside into Turn 6 after enjoying DRS advantage and quickly pulls clear in P5.
Sainz, with his fresh hards, is up to 15th having overtaken Hulkenberg at Turn 6. Given he has to stop again, he has a lot of work to do on this strategy.
Perez has closed to Piastri's gearbox now with the McLaren appearing to suffer once again with higher than average tyre deg. He's within DRS range now.
Tsunoda is waved by team-mate Ricciardo to move up to ninth and is chasing Hamilton, who gets another hurry up from team boss Wolff.
After keeping the margin to Leclerc at 1.5s throughout the opening stint, Verstappen has now pulled the gap to 5.3s. Game over?
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"Where are we losing time? Why are we so **** slow?" Gasly asks. The reply from Alpine is it is due to damage picked up in the clash with Hamilton.
With the order back to normal following the first round of stops, Verstappen, Leclerc and Russell complete the top three positions.
As things stand, Mercedes would now finish second in the constructors'. But we're not even at half distance yet.
As things stand, Mercedes would now finish second in the constructors'. But we're not even at half distance yet.
Perez dives by Alonso at Turn 6 on lap 25 to move up to sixth.
Bottas, the only driver yet to pit today, is duly going backwards on his old hard tyres. He's down to 12th and about to lose another place to Stroll.
Pit stop
Sainz stops from P6 to remove one set of hards and fit another. A two-stop plan confirmed. He returns to the track in P16.
Hamilton gets a pick me up from Wolff over the team radio - told he is the second fastest car on track on the last lap - and it gives him a boost to go by Bottas and move into 10th.
Pit stop
Tsunoda finally bails out from the lead and pits. Mediums off, hards on and he returns to the track behind Ricciardo, Bottas and Hamilton in P12.
Sainz is going as long as possible here but he has no pace at all, with Russell the next to charge past him.
Stopwatch
Perez puts in a fastest lap of the race, a 1m28.986s, as he begins to reel in Alonso and the two McLarens ahead of him.
By: Autosport Staff
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