The final race of the season beckoned for George and the rest of the F1 fraternity. After scoring points at an eventful race in Las Vegas, he headed for the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, a venue at which he finished fifth in 2022, helping him to secure fourth in the drivers’ standings.

Strong showing in practice

George put forth a statement of intent as he topped the times for the duration of FP1.

Then, in a largely disrupted FP2 session, George took sixth on the timesheets with what little track time remained.

The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One® Team driver replicated his FP1 result, claiming the top spot and retaining it for the entirety of FP3.
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Second row start for George

It was a steady and consistent qualifying session, as the King’s Lynn driver went fifth fastest in Q1, then fourth quickest in both Q2 and Q3 to secure a second-row grid slot for the Grand Prix.

WATCH: 2023 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING HIGHLIGHTS

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George holds on for second podium of the year

A fast-starting Lando Norris made his way past Russell at the start but as he settled into a rhythm, he found his form and began to close in on Oscar Piastri who had since been passed by his McLaren team mate.

On Lap 7, the #63 driver attempted a move on Piastri on the outside of the high-speed Turn 9 to no avail. He repeated the attempt on Lap 9 but again, couldn’t make the move stick. Finally, on Turn 11 George utilised the DRS to get the move done before the pair reached the corner.

Having regained his initial fourth place, George headed for the pits on Lap 15. When Norris ahead endured a comparably slow pit stop, Russell leapfrogged the McLaren for a net third place.

Re-emerging on Hard tyres in P13, George set about closing down the cars ahead and by Lap 18, he’d carved past Alex Albon and Valtteri Bottas, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process to move into sixth.

Once he’d dispatched the out-of-position traffic, George set about pressuring the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque kept him at bay though, and on Lap 35 George pitted for another set of Hard tyres.

Despite an attempted undercut on the Ferrari, George re-joined the fight in between Norris and Leclerc once again. In the following laps, he made his way past Lance Stroll and the one-stopping Yuki Tsunoda.

In the closing stages, Sergio Perez loomed in George’s mirrors, eventually relegating him to fourth. But the Red Bull had a five-second penalty that was applied to his final race time, meaning George held onto third in the final classification.

George capped off his season with a second podium of the year, which ultimately helped the team secure second place in the constructors’ standings.

WATCH: 2023 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHTS

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George Russell, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One® Team driver:

Today’s result means a huge amount and I’m really pleased we’ve secured P2 for the team. There are so many people back at the factory in Brackley and Brixworth, who have worked so hard to achieve this. It’s been a really challenging season for us. I've let the side down a couple of times this year so I’m pleased to bring it across the line today. It was really intense at the end and so close with Perez, his pace was just great. I thought Charles was going to back me up but respect to him for keeping it clean. I’m happy to end the season this way with a podium.