Valtteri Bottas, the seasoned Finnish driver for Alfa Romeo, revealed the intense and nail-biting wait to confirm whether his team had successfully clinched sixth place in the highly competitive Constructors’ Championship. This suspenseful conclusion to the 2022 Formula 1 season, he admitted, starkly reminded him of the contentious and dramatic outcome of the previous year’s Drivers’ Championship in Abu Dhabi, a race that left a lasting impression on the entire F1 paddock and, particularly, on Bottas himself, who was a key player in that unforgettable Mercedes campaign.
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The final standings saw Alfa Romeo tied on points with their rivals, Aston Martin, creating a thrilling and high-stakes scenario. However, through the intricate tie-breaker rules of Formula 1, Alfa Romeo ultimately secured the coveted sixth position. This crucial advantage was thanks to a superior individual race finish achieved by Bottas – specifically, his remarkable fifth-place finish at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix earlier in the season. This single result proved pivotal, demonstrating the immense importance of every single point and every single position throughout a long and arduous championship campaign, highlighting how even one strong performance can alter a team’s fate.
As the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix reached its climactic final laps, the tension escalated dramatically within the Alfa Romeo garage. The team closely monitored the on-track action, particularly the Aston Martin drivers, as there was a palpable concern that their rivals might snatch an additional point, which would have been enough to overturn the constructors’ standings. Sebastian Vettel, in his final F1 race, was aggressively pursuing Daniel Ricciardo, aiming for a points-scoring position. Simultaneously, his teammate Lance Stroll was making a determined bid to claim the bonus point awarded for the fastest lap of the race, adding another layer of anxiety to an already fraught situation for Alfa Romeo.
Bottas, despite his team’s significant championship aspirations hinging on these moments, finished the race in 15th position, leaving him powerless to directly influence the outcome of the constructors’ battle unfolding around him. As he received updates from his race engineer about the dangerously close situation and the potential for Aston Martin to gain an advantage, his frustration and a sense of deja vu prompted a memorable radio message. With a mix of exasperation and perhaps a hint of dark humor, he remarked, “Don’t do it to me again, Abu Dhabi,” referencing the painful memories of the previous year’s championship decider.
The poignant radio message from Bottas was a direct callback to the 2021 Formula 1 season finale, a race indelibly etched into the sport’s history due to its controversial nature. In that dramatic conclusion, Bottas was an integral part of Mercedes’ valiant, albeit ultimately unsuccessful, effort to secure the Drivers’ Championship for his then-teammate, Lewis Hamilton. The championship outcome famously swung on a highly contested last-lap restart, during which Hamilton was overtaken by Max Verstappen. The FIA F1 race director’s decisions regarding the safety car procedures and the unlapping of cars were widely criticized and deemed by many to be in contravention of the established sporting regulations, leading to a bitter and prolonged dispute that cast a shadow over the end of an otherwise incredible season. For Bottas, being so close to another potential last-minute swing in fortunes, even if for a team championship rather than a driver’s title, brought back the visceral memory of that painful experience.
Speaking to media outlets, including RaceFans, following the nerve-wracking conclusion in Abu Dhabi, Bottas openly confessed the emotional toll of those final moments. “It was so nerve-wracking on the in-lap waiting for the results,” he admitted, his relief palpable. “I had a deja vu to last year when everything changed in the last lap, and now it was luckily for good.” This sentiment perfectly encapsulated the high tension and the profound relief felt by the entire Alfa Romeo team, understanding that a positive outcome meant not just bragging rights but also a significant financial boost crucial for their development.
Finishing ahead of Aston Martin in the Constructors’ Championship carries substantial implications, primarily ensuring that Alfa Romeo claims a valuable extra portion of the prize money distributed by Formula 1. This financial injection is vital for every team, but particularly for those operating with more modest budgets compared to the sport’s giants. “For the team, it’s big,” Bottas emphasized, highlighting the strategic importance of this achievement. “If you look at the last two years where the team has been, it’s a big step. Even the prize money is really going to help us. So I’m so glad that we got it.” This sixth-place finish represents a significant improvement for Alfa Romeo, a team that had struggled in previous seasons, often finding themselves at the lower end of the midfield or even at the back of the grid. The prize money directly impacts their ability to invest in research and development, upgrade facilities, and retain top talent, all of which are crucial for remaining competitive under the sport’s budget cap regulations and for building a stronger future in Formula 1.
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Bottas’ Radio Messages from the End of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The following radio exchanges between Valtteri Bottas and his race engineer, Chan, vividly illustrate the high-pressure environment and the rollercoaster of emotions experienced by the Alfa Romeo team during the final moments of the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as their sixth-place standing in the Constructors’ Championship hung precariously in the balance.
| Chan | Okay Valtteri that’s the chequered flag for us. Mode end over the line. Current situation Vettel has DRS for Ricciardo and Stroll is going for fastest lap. This is going to be very tight. Currently we are tied on points. Being tied on points leaves us ahead on points count-back. I’ll let you know with these two guys. |
| Bottas | Don’t do it to me again, Abu Dhabi, please. |
| Chan | I know, I know. |
| Chan | Stroll has aborted his fastest lap attempts. Stroll will not get fastest lap. |
| Chan | Okay Valtteri Ricciardo held on to P10. We have P6. You did it. We did enough. |
| Bottas | Ha! Luck does change. Well done, guys. Well deserved. That’s only the beginning for us. |
| Chan | Yeah, tough race for us today. But we can reflect on a great season together. Thanks for everything this year. |
These messages encapsulate the immediate aftermath of the race. Chan’s initial update perfectly laid out the precarious position: a points tie with Aston Martin, but ahead on count-back due to Bottas’s fifth-place finish. The fear was that Vettel or Stroll could alter this. Bottas’s plea, “Don’t do it to me again, Abu Dhabi,” spoke volumes about his past experiences. The eventual confirmation that Stroll aborted his fastest lap attempt and Ricciardo held position brought immense relief, solidifying Alfa Romeo’s P6. Bottas’s joyous “Ha! Luck does change” reflected the immense pressure lifted and the satisfaction of a hard-earned team achievement.
Stroll’s Radio Messages from the End of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
From Aston Martin’s perspective, the final laps were equally tense, a desperate attempt to claw back a position that meant millions in prize money. The team initially strategized for Lance Stroll to make a last-ditch bid for the fastest lap, which would have awarded them a crucial bonus point and potentially swung the Constructors’ Championship in their favor. This aggressive tactic underscores the high stakes involved in these final championship positions.
| Michell | Okay Lance two to go. Cool your tyres. We’re going to try fastest lap on the last lap so cool your tyres, we’re going to go for one push lap. Gap behind 7.4 to Ricciardo. |
| Stroll | Who is behind Ricciardo? |
| Michell | Sebastian, then Tsunoda. So we don’t want to give Ricciardo DRS or any tow. So he’s seven-and-a-half behind so just cool your tyres. |
| Michell | So Lance use K0 now, nine and 12. K0 now until turn 12. |
| Stroll | How much do I need for the fastest lap? |
| Michell | Okay Lance you need 1.3 on your delta. We don’t think that’s possible so don’t take any risks. Strat five across the line. This is the last lap. |
This transcript reveals Aston Martin’s tactical shift. Initially, they geared up Stroll for a fastest lap attempt, instructing him to cool his tires. However, as the final lap commenced, the data quickly showed that achieving the necessary pace delta (1.3 seconds faster) was unlikely without significant risk. Given the slim chances, the team wisely decided to abort the attempt, prioritizing a safe finish over a long-shot bonus point, a decision that sealed their fate for sixth place.
Ultimately, despite the strategic attempt, Stroll was unable to usurp the fastest lap from Lando Norris, who had already set an unassailable benchmark. As a result, Aston Martin fell agonizingly short of beating Alfa Romeo by the crucial single point they needed to secure sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship. This narrow miss highlighted the fine margins that often define success and failure in Formula 1.
| Michell | Okay Lance so Hamilton retired, that’s P8. Take the pick-up. Sebastian P10 so we just missed it. But that was an excellent race, Lance, So P8. |
| Stroll | Oh, fuck. I’m sorry, guys. |
| Michell | Out four and MFB grey position four. |
| Michell | Okay all the switches are good, Lance, just takle the pick-up and come back, well done. |
| Michell | That’s Sebastian and Ricciardo, P9 and P10 have just come past you. |
| Stroll | Sorry we missed it guys, it wasn’t fair. Just didn’t have enough things go our way thids season. We deserved more than that. |
| Michell | It’s a great recovery. We’re fighting with cars that we didn’t think we were going to have at the start so it’s a strong race, really strong race. |
Stroll’s raw frustration after the race was evident in his radio messages, particularly his “Oh, f***. I’m sorry, guys” and his subsequent comment about not having “enough things go our way this season,” reflecting the intense disappointment of a season-long effort falling short at the very last hurdle. Despite his team’s efforts to console him and highlight their overall strong recovery and performance throughout the year, the sting of missing out on a higher championship position by such a small margin was undoubtedly significant for Aston Martin. The final standings were a testament to the unpredictable nature of Formula 1 and the critical impact of every single point, from the first race to the last, making the 2022 Constructors’ Championship battle an unforgettable one for both Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin.
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