There is not much left to decide about the 2022 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The only stake is the honor of who will be the second in a duel between Checo Pérez and Charles Leclerc. However, all the spotlights are on the figure of Sebastian Vettel, who after more than 15 years in the Grand Circus hangs up the monkey. And the pity is that he does it with the best performance of his last years.
because it is clear that We saw the best Vettel many years ago with his four consecutive championships at Red Bull. Even earlier, in 2008, we already had a glimpse of what was to come with his victory at Monza in a Toro Rosso. But nine years have passed since he last claimed his title by winning nine races in a row. Since then, first at Ferrari and then at Aston Martin, his performance on the track has declined. over time. However, once his retirement was announced, he was so liberated that he seemed much more comfortable on set.
Luck and strategy are not something that has accompanied much throughout this 2022 but in the second half of the season performances have increased compared to the first. It is much more common to see him fighting in the points area or fighting to be in Q3. Without going any further, In qualifying this Saturday at Yas Marina, he managed to equal the best grid position of the year with a ninth position.
In addition, at the point level, a good improvement is also reflected. From the Hungarian Grand Prix to Brazil, he entered the points zone in five out of nine races and at Interlagos, between the pit stop and the safety car, more good points were snatched from him. If we compare his results with those of Lance Stroll, it becomes clear who pulls the car the most at Aston Martin. The German 11th in the standings with 22 points plus the Canadian.
The truth is that Aston Martin’s lead in terms of their advantages also helped Vettel see the best. The Silverstone team went from being clearly the penultimate team on the grid to being close to other important teams such as Alpine and even McLaren.. In fact, in Sunday’s race they can take sixth place in the Alfa Romeo constructors’ standings. Something that was probably unthinkable at the beginning of the years.
When an elite athlete takes the weight off the pressure off their shoulders, that’s when they feel most comfortable and Vettel is the prime example. At Ferrari, this constant demand for results ended up driving him crazy and it wasn’t even outrageous to think he could leave. In the end, Aston Martin gave him a chance and, although he wasn’t on top, It allowed us to see a legend end his career when he wanted to. A fact that unfortunately is not always the case.
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