Closing what has been an incredible season, Abu Dhabi hosted quite the finale with plenty of talking points.
Lando Norris took his fourth win of the season, leading the Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. This triumph secured the Constructors’ Championship title for McLaren, capping a remarkable resurgence for the team after a 26 year dry spell in the category. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella highlighted their journey from struggling in 2015 to championship glory, emphasizing the unity and innovation within the organization as pivotal to their success.
Leclerc wasn’t shy after the race, showing his frustration that the Ferrari team narrowly missed out on the Constructors Championship by just fourteen points. This is the closest Ferrari has come to the title in many years. He climbed from P19 to third over the course of the race. Sainz was emotional after the race, reflecting on his four years at Ferrari and looking to the future.
Lewis Hamilton reflected on his long-standing partnership with his Mercedes engineer, Peter Bonnington, as they used “Hammertime” for the final time. This moment symbolized the close relationships built during their time dominating the sport, a nostalgic highlight for fans of Mercedes and Hamilton. He finished in fourth, a position ahead of his teammate George Russell.
The race itself of course wasn’t without drama, as Max Verstappen collided with Oscar Piastri during a bold overtaking attempt at the first turn of the first lap. Verstappen ended the race in sixth after serving a 10-second penalty, and apologised for the incident after the race. Piastri managed to finish in tenth, adding a point to the Constructors’ total which won the Championship.
Pierre Gasly had a great race, keeping the upward trajectory of Alpine from recent races. By the end of Lap One, he was up in third place. He ended the race in seventh, gaining valuable points for the team. Jack Doohan, who took Esteban Ocon’s place for the final race, had an underwhelming weekend. He ended the race in 15th, as the second last classified finisher.
Haas had a decent weekend, which started excellently with Nico Hulkenburg qualifying in fourth place. He finished in the points in eighth. His teammate, Kevin Magnussen was further back, qualifying in 15th and finishing one place lower as the last classified finisher of the race. He did, however, manage to gain the Fastest Lap of the race. In post-race content, both drivers expressed their thanks to the team for this season.
Fernando Alonso came in in ninth place, while Lance Stroll was slightly more adrift back in 14th. Pundits predicted Alonso would utilise a two-stop race strategy, which both he and Stroll did. Both drivers dropped slightly from their grid position, suggesting the Aston Martin has better one-lap pace than race pace.
Both Williams cars finished outside of the points. Alex Albon ended Sunday in 11th, while Franco Colapinto DNF-ed. Colapinto was forced to retire the Williams car by Lap 28, having faced a power unit issue.
Yuki Tsunoda spent time battling for points during the race, having a great fight with Gasly over eighth around Lap 17. He was called into the pits on Lap 23, and seemed frustrated with the decision of his team. With this, he dropped back into P16. He only managed to climb back to P12 by the end of the race. His teammate, Liam Lawson, DNF-ed. He had been given a 10-second penalty for an unsafe release following a pitstop,. He noted over the radio that his tyres were not properly on his car, causing him to have to immediately pit again. He retired just as Norris began his final lap.
Following a great result last weekend, Sauber had high hopes of a repeat performance. Things were looking up after qualifying, which saw Valtteri Bottas in Q3, achieving ninth place on the grid. Bottas’ race ended in a DNF, however, following a coming together with Magnussen’s Haas. Guanyu Zhou had a better Sunday, climbing from P17 to P13. Both drivers were greeted with a guard of honour by the team after the race.
Sergio Pérez’s future remains debated despite having a contract for the 2025 season. He DNF-ed on the opening lap after a coming together with Valtteri Bottas. This caused a Virtual Safety Car to be deployed.
The 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix not only ended the season on a high note for McLaren but also set the stage for intriguing developments as teams prepare for 2025.
Written by Millie and Alexandra.
Featured Image Credit: mclaren.com
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