Double Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen heads into the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix facing questions about his character, disappointing even his own fans after he refused to help teammate Sergio Perez last time out in Sao Paulo.
The Red Bull rift could bring fresh drama to Yas Marina, the circuit where last year Verstappen won his first title and denied Lewis Hamilton a record eighth in a massively controversial clash.
Verstappen has little at stake this time, having wrapped up his second title in Japan last month, but can expect a grilling from the world's media after leaving his motives a mystery at Interlagos.
Perez acidly accused Verstappen of showing "who he really is" in refusing to hand back a place as requested by Red Bull who want the Mexican to end the season second overall.
The new champion constructors have never finished one-two in the drivers' standings and Perez is now level on points with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc but behind on race wins.
Verstappen's assertion that he and Perez had talked and moved on, and that he was willing to help the Mexican in Abu Dhabi, is unlikely to draw a line under the matter.
Verstappen's actions have stumped the F1 community including his own fans
There is widespread bafflement at why a driver who has dominated the season refused to hand back a sixth place of no consequence to him, and why he was so obviously angry at the request.
If, as some have suggested, it was payback for Perez's qualifying crash at Monaco in May, then why had it taken so long to manifest? And why was Verstappen still so vexed about it given all the positives since then?
The controversy will not distract Verstappen from chasing a record-extending 15th win of the season but the task is getting harder, with Mercedes and Ferrari filling the top four places in Brazil.
Sunday's race will also be the last opportunity for Lewis Hamilton to claim a first victory of the year with Mercedes and avoid the first season without a win of his career.
Mercedes teammate George Russell led him home in a Mercedes one-two in Brazil and a repeat result with the fastest lap would help the former champions overtake Ferrari for second in the constructors', with just 19 points separating the two teams.
Abu Dhabi will settle fourth place in the championship and the extra millions that come with it
Alpine, 19 points clear of McLaren, look set to be best of the rest spot after the Woking-based team suffered a double retirement in Brazil.
Sebastian Vettel will bow out on Sunday, at the same venue where he clinched his first title in 2010, in what is sure to be an emotional swansong for the four-times champion.
"I am sure that this race will bring back plenty of happy memories from the last 15 years," said the 35-year-old. "I want to go out on a high."
Canadian Nicholas Latifi and Australian Daniel Ricciardo will also be absent next year losing their seats at Williams and McLaren respectively, while it may also be a farewell to Mick Schumacher.
The German could join them on the sidelines with Haas widely tipped to announce Nico Hulkenberg alongside Kevin Magnussen for next season.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Stats & Facts by Reuters
- Round 22 of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship at Yas Marina Circuit
- Lap distance: 5.281km. Total distance: 306.183km (58 laps)
- 2021 pole position: Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Red Bull - one minute 22.109 seconds.
- 2021 winner: Verstappen
- Race lap record: Verstappen 1:26.103 (the Circuit was modified after the 2020 race)
- Start time: 1300 GMT (1700 local)
- Sunday will be the 14th Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and 11th season-ender at Yas Marina's anti-clockwise track.
- Four current drivers have won at Yas Marina, with five-times winner Lewis Hamilton the most successful: Sebastian Vettel (2009, 2010 and 2013), Hamilton (2011, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019), Valtteri Bottas (2017), Verstappen (2020, 2021).
- Hamilton has been on pole five times.
- Only once has the winner not started on the front row: Kimi Raikkonen from fourth in 2012 with Lotus.
2022 Formula 1 World Championship
- Both titles have been won by Red Bull, with Verstappen taking the drivers' crown in Japan on Oct. 9 and the team winning the constructors' for the first time since 2013 in Austin on Oct. 23.
Grand Prix Victories
- Red Bull have won 16 of 21 races, with five one-twos. Ferrari have won four and Mercedes one.
- Verstappen has won 14, a record for most victories in a single season.
- Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has won three times, Perez twice, and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Mercedes' George Russell once each.
- Verstappen is chasing his 35th career win.
- Hamilton has a record 103 wins and 191 podiums from 309 starts. The seven-times world champion last won a race in Saudi Arabia in December and is now on the longest streak of his career without a win.
- Ferrari have won 242 races since 1950. McLaren have 183 wins, Mercedes 125, Williams 115 and Red Bull 91.
Pole Position & Fastest Lap
- Leclerc has had nine poles this year, Verstappen six, Sainz three, Perez and Mercedes' George Russell and Haas's Kevin Magnussen one each.
- Hamilton has a F1 record of 103, most recently in Saudi Arabia last year.
- Eight drivers have taken fastest laps this season. 5 - Verstappen (Imola, Miami, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands); 4 - Russell (Singapore, Austin, Mexico, Brazil); 3 - Leclerc (Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia) and Perez (Spain, Azerbaijan and Italy); 2 - Sainz (Canada, France) and Hamilton (Britain, Hungary); 1 - Lando Norris (Monaco) and Guanyu Zhou (Japan)/
Milestones in Abu Dhabi
- Alfa Romeo's Bottas will be starting his 200th grand prix. The Finn has had 10 wins and 67 podiums to date.
- This will be the 299th start and final race for four times world champion Vettel. The German has 53 wins - three in Abu Dhabi - putting him third in the all-time list of winners, and 57 poles. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin)
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