Going into the Abu Dhabi GP, 4 teams were mathematically in contention for P7 in the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship. However, realistically, only Alpha Tauri and Williams were in the running. With minor points positions on offer, Haas and Alfa Romeo would’ve needed a lot of luck to move up. In the race, Yuki Tsunoda gave everything he had and more. But it just wasn’t enough. Williams held on, while Alpha Tauri came agonizingly close.
Two Teams Out of the Race
Alfa Romeo and Haas never even came close to scoring points at the Abu Dhabi GP. Alfa Romeo actually looked pretty strong in all the practice sessions. However, their pace disappeared during qualifying and in the race.
Haas, like usual, had a brilliant qualifying. But their tyres couldn’t last over a Formula 1 stint, and they fell off.
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Williams Powerless
The Abu Dhabi GP is not the easiest of tracks for the Williams car. Yet, Alex Albon showed immense pace. However, he didn’t make it out of Q2. Logan Sargeant never got a representative lap in due to track limits and started P20.
A poor qualifying meant that Williams were powerless. Both Alex and Logan finished well out of the points.
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Yuki Tsunoda Gives It His All
On the other hand, Alpha Tauri were the only team who brought upgrades to the Abu Dhabi GP. Yuki Tsunoda took to their new car like fish to water. He qualified in 6th, his best qualifying of the 2023 Formula 1 season. However, with a lot of faster cars behind him, it was risky.
However, Yuki Tsunoda showed immense speed and tyre management in his Alpha Tauri. On an alternate strategy, he even led the race for 5 laps. However, Daniel Ricciardo was out of the points. This meant that Yuki Tsunoda needed a P6 finish for Alpha Tauri to overtake Williams.
A P8 finish at the Abu Dhabi GP put an end to Alpha Tauri’s late-season charge. Alex Albon single-handedly hauled Williams to P7.
Editors pick
