Ferrari Misses Out on Second Place in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The Italian outfit entered the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix trailing Mercedes by just four points in the championship standings. However, despite Charles Leclerc securing second place behind Max Verstappen, his teammate Carlos Sainz failed to score any points in the race.
Mercedes Holds on to Championship Lead
With George Russell finishing in third place and Lewis Hamilton clinching ninth, the Brackley-based Mercedes team managed to retain their hold on the championship lead, maintaining a three-point advantage over Ferrari.
Disappointing Qualifying Session for Sainz
Sainz’s hopes for a strong performance were dashed during a frustrating Q1 session, where he qualified in 16th place. This setback forced Ferrari to adopt a different strategy for him in the race.
Tire Strategy Gamble
Ferrari made the decision to put Sainz on hard tires at the beginning of the race, hoping for a strategic advantage. However, this gamble did not pay off as expected, leaving Sainz unable to make progress through the field.
Missed Opportunity for Second Place
Despite Leclerc’s impressive drive to second place, Ferrari’s failure to secure points with Sainz meant they missed out on the opportunity to leapfrog Mercedes into second place in the championship standings.