Abu Dhabi GP brings curtain down on 2023 F1 season – live

So this is it: the most dominant season in F1 history, one of the most dominant seasons in all sport, is almost over. Max Verstappen is already our champion, and for the third year in a row too; for context, there are more points between him and second-placed Sergio Pérez than Sebastian Vettel collected when taking the 2010 edition.

Generally speaking, dominant champions are good for individual sports because people tune in to see either greatness or if someone can beat them – think Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Phil Taylor, Martina Navratilova and so on. But there’s a point at which, if those champions aren’t pushed, it becomes boring; one season like this, OK, but it wasn’t close last term either, and there’s no sense any team will improve enough to challenge Red Bull in 2024.

That, though, is a gripe for another day because, make no mistake about it, we are witnessing greatness – even if what kicked it all off, on this very circuit, was dubious to say the least. But rarely in F1 history have driver, principal and mechanics been so snugly grooved, so it’s incumbent upon us to enjoy that collective genius to the fullest possible extent. Here we go!

Lights out: 5pm local, 1pm GMT