Victory for Norris,Championship Glory for McLaren
Max Verstappen secured the 2024 Drivers’ Championship prematurely at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, while the Constructors’ Championship for the longest season in Formula 1 history, by number of races, was only decided in the final event. Once Red Bull’s grip on the championship loosened, rivals McLaren and Ferrari stepped forward, battling for the title in Abu Dhabi.
McLaren arrived in Abu Dhabi leading the standings, ahead of Ferrari by 21 points. For the Scuderia to claim the title, victory was essential, but throughout the weekend the momentum favored McLaren.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marked the final race for Lewis Hamilton with Mercedes, Carlos Sainz with Ferrari, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg with Haas, Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou with Sauber, while Esteban Ocon did not start, having prematurely ceded his seat at Alpine to Jack Doohan. Each driver aimed to conclude this chapter of their career on a high note.
Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in the first practice session but was penalized with a ten-place grid drop after an energy storage unit replacement, forcing him to start 19th. McLaren dominated qualifying, securing the entire front row with Norris and Piastri.
Pirelli supplied the softest tyre compounds for the race — C3 as Hard, C4 as Medium, and C5 as Soft. Hamilton started on Hard tyres, while the majority began on Medium.
At the start, Norris maintained the lead. Verstappen and Piastri collided, resulting in Verstappen receiving a 10-second penalty and dropping to 11th place. Bottas and several other drivers also received penalties.
Leclerc recovered 16 positions to finish third, Sainz secured second place, and Norris won the race, delivering McLaren their first Constructors’ Championship since 1998.
The 2024 season has concluded, but teams will remain in Abu Dhabi for young driver and tyre testing. With just 98 days until the start of the 2025 season, the countdown to the Australian Grand Prix has already begun.
