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Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB18
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Special feature

What hurt Perez most in his ill-fated fight for second in Abu Dhabi

Arguably the favourite in the battle to finish second-best in 2022's Formula 1 standings, Sergio Perez's two-stop strategy at Abu Dhabi couldn't take him ahead of Charles Leclerc when the music stopped - and several key factors ultimately precluded him from the much-coveted runner-up spot.

On the day, just 1.3 seconds determined Charles Leclerc would classify as the 2022 Formula 1 runner-up. His three extra points for second over podium finisher Sergio Perez in Abu Dhabi last weekend ensured the Ferrari driver would split the Red Bulls.

Naturally, with sprint contests included, there were 24 previous races for one of Leclerc or Perez to put their stamp on the battle to bring up the rear to runaway champion Max Verstappen. Had the Scuderia not suffered its strategy and reliability shockers or if the fuel system aboard both RB18s didn’t pack up in Bahrain, it might not have gone down the wire. But since those sliding door moments do exist, it teed up a Yas Marina showdown.

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Next article How F1 teams narrowed their tech focus in final 2022 races

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