The 2024 Formula 1 season ended with Lando Norris winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He was followed by Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc on the podium. However, McLaren scored enough points to win the Constructors’ Championship for the first time since 1998.
- McLaren wins by 14 points over Ferrari
- Norris wins by 5.832 seconds ahead of Sainz
- Leclerc makes an impressive recovery from 19th to 3rd
Norris Leads McLaren to Title
Norris started the race from pole position and kept the lead. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, had a tough race, dropping places after a collision with Max Verstappen. Verstappen received a 10-second penalty for the incident. Piastri also got a 10-second penalty for hitting Williams driver Franco Colapinto.
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc, who started 19th, made an incredible recovery and moved up 11 places, reaching 8th place early on. He finished 3rd after a strong drive. Sainz, in his last race for Ferrari, couldn’t catch up to Norris and had to settle for 2nd place. Norris won the race comfortably, finishing 5.832 seconds ahead of Sainz.
Despite Piastri’s issues, McLaren outscored Ferrari by 14 points to win the Constructors’ Championship. Norris said, “It feels incredible, not for myself but for the whole team. We’ve done an amazing job this year. I’m so proud of everyone.”
Hamilton Beats Russell
Lewis Hamilton, who had a disappointing start in qualifying (he didn’t make it past Q1), used a different race strategy to move up from 16th to 4th place. In the final laps, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff asked George Russell to let Hamilton race without interference. Hamilton passed Russell on the final lap to take 4th place. After the race, Hamilton said, “I just wanted to finish on a high and give everything I had for the team.”
World Champion Max Verstappen finished 6th, followed by Pierre Gasly, who helped Alpine secure 6th place in the Constructors’ Championship. Nico Hulkenberg was 8th, ahead of Fernando Alonso. Piastri managed to finish 10th and score a point for McLaren.
2024 F1 Standings
After the Abu Dhabi GP, McLaren and Ferrari finished in the top two spots in the Constructors’ Championship. Red Bull finished 3rd, 77 points behind McLaren. Mercedes ended the season in 4th place, followed by Aston Martin, Alpine, Haas, and Red Bull. Williams finished 9th with 17 points, while Sauber came last with just 4 points.
The focus now shifts to the 2025 F1 season, which will start with pre-season testing in Bahrain from February 26-28.
2024 Abu Dhabi GP Results:
- Lando Norris – McLaren
- Carlos Sainz – Ferrari
- Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
- Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes
- George Russell – Mercedes
- Max Verstappen – Red Bull Racing
- Pierre Gasly – Alpine
- Nico Hulkenberg – Haas
- Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
- Oscar Piastri – McLaren
- Alex Albon – Williams
- Yuki Tsunoda – Red Bull
- Zhou Guanyu – Sauber
- Lance Stroll – Aston Martin
- Jack Doohan – Alpine
- Kevin Magnussen – Haas
- Liam Lawson – Red Bull
NC. Valtteri Bottas – Sauber
NC. Franco Colapinto – Williams
NC. Sergio Perez – Red Bull Racing