Formula1.com
A fitting way to round out the year. Despite being the clear favorites to win the constructors’ championship in Abu Dhabi, McLaren was sweating profusely until the last checkered flag. At the conclusion of an incredible 2024 Formula 1 season, it produced an exciting race and a plethora of intriguing statistics for us to consider.
The 2024 Formula 1 season finale at Abu Dhabi unfolded as a dramatic spectacle, delivering a momentous conclusion to a year of fierce battles and redemption arcs. Lando Norris, with ice-cool precision, led from lights out to the chequered flag, clinching his fourth victory of the season and sealing McLaren’s long-awaited constructors’ championship by a slender 14-point margin. As the championship eluded Ferrari once again, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc put up a valiant fight, finishing second and third, with Leclerc’s drive particularly etched into the annals of F1 heroics.
Leclerc’s ascent from 19th on the grid was nothing short of mesmerizing. His opening lap was a masterclass in audacity and skill, gaining 11 positions with a stunning move that saw him pass five cars into the chicane at Turns Six and Seven. It was a drive of defiance and desperation, Ferrari’s last hope as they hunted McLaren in the standings. Every overtake heightened the tension, especially as Norris had to navigate the race under the shadow of his teammate Oscar Piastri’s early misfortune.
The drama kicked off at the very first corner when Piastri, starting second, was tapped into a spin by Max Verstappen. The reigning world champion, who later received a 10-second penalty for the incident, inadvertently handed McLaren a dose of anxiety. Piastri dropped to the back of the field, leaving the team’s title hopes entirely in Norris’s hands. Meanwhile, Leclerc’s relentless charge through the pack brought him into podium contention, overtaking Pierre Gasly, Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg, and even Fernando Alonso with masterful precision.
As the race wore on, Leclerc climbed to third, his radio query echoing the stakes: “Like this we lose the constructors’?” The answer was affirmative, but Norris held firm at the front, controlling the race pace and managing his car flawlessly. Crossing the line six seconds ahead of Sainz, Norris erupted with joy over the radio as McLaren celebrated their first constructors’ championship since 1998, ending a 26-year wait. The victory also secured Norris second place in the drivers’ standings, trailing Verstappen but comfortably ahead of Leclerc.
For McLaren, this triumph marked the culmination of a long and arduous journey. From the dark days of mediocrity to a return to glory, their revival was shaped by strategic restructuring under the leadership of Zak Brown and the transformative influence of team principal Andrea Stella. The team’s resurgence has established them as the fastest on the grid, positioning them as formidable contenders for 2025.
Amid McLaren’s jubilation, Lewis Hamilton’s final race for Mercedes was a poignant chapter in the Abu Dhabi narrative. Starting 16th after a disastrous qualifying session, Hamilton deployed an alternate strategy, beginning on hard tires to execute a long first stint. His racecraft was impeccable as he gained positions, eventually overtaking teammate George Russell on the final lap with a masterful move around the outside of Turn Nine. Finishing fourth, Hamilton bid farewell to his historic partnership with Mercedes in a fitting display of grit and brilliance. Over the radio, heartfelt messages of gratitude and admiration were exchanged, encapsulating the end of an era for the most successful driver-team duo in F1 history.
Behind the frontrunners, Verstappen recovered to take sixth after his penalty, while Gasly, Hulkenberg, and Alonso rounded out the top nine. Piastri salvaged a point for McLaren, clawing back from his first-lap collision and a penalty of his own. As the dust settled, the race left an indelible mark on the sport, symbolizing a passing of the torch, the culmination of dreams, and the relentless pursuit of greatness that defines Formula 1.
