The 2023 F1 season finally comes to an end. Everything resets and about a three-month break before F1 returns with the winter testing. Red Bull and Max Verstappen had already sealed both the championships way before the final race. While the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP wasn’t as surprising as the 2021 finale, there was still a lot at stake in the Constructors’ and the Drivers’ Championship. 

The main story going into the final race was Mercedes and Ferrari battling it out for P2 in the championship. Only 4 points separated the two big F1 powers as the light went out at the Yas Marina Circuit. However, Mercedes were able to upset the in-form Ferrari at the Abu Dhabi GP and hold the 2nd place in constructors along with the $131 million prize money that comes with it. 

But how were Mercedes able to do so? And how did Ferrari get so close yet so far away from finishing 2nd in the championship? Let’s have a look. 

Mercedes’ downfall and Ferrari’s improvements post the Summer Break.

With Aston Martin falling off the pace, it was Mercedes that looked likely to finish 2nd in the Constructors after the Summer break. Ferrari was plagued by unforced errors and strategic mistakes in the first half of the season, whereas Mercedes kept at it with the introduction of the W14 Spec B. However, the Summer changed things around for the Scuderia. 

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The second half of the season began super strong for the Ferrari crew, with Carlos Sainz winning the Singapore GP. The Scuderia scored a total of 5 podiums in the second half before the Abu Dhabi GP compared to Mercedes’ 2. While Mercedes was there or thereabout, the real struggles started after Lewis Hamilton‘s disqualification at the US GP followed by poor results in Brazil and Las Vegas. 

Ferrari cut down Mercedes’ gap between them by 52 points in the second half. Going into the last race of the season, Ferrari was only 4 points behind the Silver Arrows. Let’s see how the final race weekend turned out to be for both teams. 

Despite Charles Leclerc’s efforts, Mercedes came out on top during the Abu Dhabi GP weekend

Ferrari were the favorites in the battle, with Mercedes going into the Abu Dhabi GP. The track was better suited to the strengths of the SF23 and so was the case. However, Carlos Sainz’s weekend started off with a huge shunt into the wall during the FP2 session. Ever since, the Spaniard struggled and was eliminated in the Q1 session. Charles Leclerc on the other hand put his Ferrari on the front row.

Qualifying was a mixed session for Mercedes as well where Lewis Hamilton struggled and was knocked out in Q2 while George Russell put it P4. Leclerc looked feisty in the first couple of laps and looked to challenge for the lead but then settled into P2. Norris overtook Russell off the start with the Mercedes settling into P5. George Russell, however, looked feisty and overtook Piastri in P4 toward the end of the first stint. 

The order remained mostly the same for Leclerc and Russell for the rest of the race. A slow stop for Lando Norris meant George Russell overtook him in the pits. Carlos Sainz struggled the whole race with his strategy that he was put on whereas Lewis Hamilton finished in P9. In the end, Ferrari scored 18 points in the last race, courtesy of Leclerc finishing P2 whereas Mercedes scored 17 points. 

What factors played into Mercedes’ hand at the Abu Dhabi GP in keeping Ferrari at bay?

Despite having a quicker car, Ferrari was unable to snatch P2 away from Mercedes. Many factors during the race played into Mercedes’ favor. It was more of other teams screwing up than Mercedes excelling. Carlos Sainz’s inability to qualify higher is one of the major factors. Had the Spaniard qualified higher, he wouldn’t be stuck in the DRS train. Also, Carlos Sainz’s strategy during the race was based on luck. After the initial sprint on hard tires, Sainz was again out on hard as Ferrari waited for a safety car that never came. He finally had to pit toward the very end to put on the softer rubber. 

Lance Stroll was on a similar strategy to Sainz but pitted way earlier for the final medium stint and was able to utilize the rubber. Another factor that played majorly into George Russell’s hand in finishing P3 was Lando Norris’ slow pitstop. Had Norris come out in front of Russell, he might’ve been able to defend the position and at the very least cost Russell time. Norris finished less than 4 seconds behind Russell.

And the final factor that played into Mercedes’ hand was Sergio Perez’s penalty. The Mexican was given a 5-second penalty for a collision with Lando Norris. Toward the very end, Charles Leclerc slowed down, gave Perez a tow, and let him pass to help him build a 5-second gap over Russell, but that wasn’t enough. Had the penalty not been there, Perez would’ve finished P3 ahead of the Mercedes driver. 

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Regardless of the what may and what ifs, Mercedes somehow managed to keep the P2 position in the championship, that’ll help keep the morale of the team high for the next season. Ferrari, on the other hand, improved massively in the second half and will be hopeful of carrying the same form into the 2024 season. 

“The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports”