Max Verstappen has been absolutely imperious in 2022, with the Dutchman having ended his superior campaign with his 15th victory of the season.
His 15th win of the year means he won 68-percent of the races in the season, an incredibly impressive feat by the 25-year-old.
His winning record in 2022 also meant he well and truly eclipsed Michael Schumacher’s and Sebastian Vettel’s joint record of 13 wins in a season, highlighting the Dutchman’s dominance.
As well as this, his third consecutive victory at Abu Dhabi ensured that he claimed the record for most points scored in a single season, with the double World Champion ending the year on 454 points.
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The unbelievable season has given Verstappen the “motivation” to repeat his dominance in 2023, something he revealed after claiming his 15th victory.
“It was a good race, it was all about tyre management, we looked after the mediums quite well,” Verstappen told Sky Sports.
“[It’s] incredible to win again here and the 15th win of the season is unbelievable.
“It’s been really enjoyable to work with the whole team and achieve something like this.
“I know it will be hard to achieve this again, but it’s really good motivation.”
For his 2021 rival, Lewis Hamilton, the year ended woefully.
Hamilton’s worst season in F1 was sealed with Mercedes’ first technical-based retirement of the season, something which is actually quite impressive given that it’s been the first year of the new regulations.
The 37-year-old not only failed to win for the first time in an F1 season, but he also ended the year in the lowest position he’s ever finished (sixth).
Mercedes and Hamilton are determined to bounce back to the top in 2023, with 2022 having been like a “team building exercise”.
“Ultimately, I think we started with a car that we didn’t want and we finished with a car that we didn’t want but we were basically stuck with it,” Hamilton said after the race.
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“We kept trundling along, kept working away at improving it, but I think the fundamentals have still been there until the end, as you saw this weekend.
“It’s been more of a team building exercise this year and I’m very, very proud of everybody… Whilst we’re not celebrating a World Championship, we’ll be celebrating them still for their hard work and efforts.
“I hope that the struggles this year really provide us with the tools and the strength to fight for many more championships moving forward.”