New Delhi: F1 calendar wraps with the Abu Dhabi race with taking home. In qualification, McLaren had secured a one-two pole position with Carlos Sainz in third place. In the first lap itself, Max Verstappen’s move to go inside Oscar Piastry ended in a disaster, with the two cars spinning out and falling down places.
The crash also saw Valtteri Bottas make contact with Sergio Perez, which meant an early retirement for Red Bull’s second driver. The incident meant both Verstappen and Piastry got penalty time, which they served when they came to the pits. Lando Norris maintained his pole position despite all the drama in the back of the pack.
For McLaren to win the Constructor’s championship, Norris just needed to stay in the lead and collect all 25 points. Norris ensured that they had in their hands their first Constructor’s title since 1998, ending the season in perfect style, as McLaren took home the Constructor’s title. Verstappen had made his claim on his fourth consecutive Driver’s Championship after taking ten points in Las Vegas. In the race, he managed a sixth-place finish behind the two Ferraris and Mercedes and just about defended against Pierre Gasly.
LANDO NORRIS ENDS THE SEASON IN STYLE!!! 🤩#F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/fZloDuJdLH
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 8, 2024
This marks the first time since 2010 that a team other than Mercedes or Red Bull have won the title. Mercedes have won eight consecutive Championships six times, and Red Bull have won six times. McLaren were closely followed by Ferrari, with Carlos Sainz ending his stint at Ferrari with a second-place finish, with Charles Leclerc securing third place in the podium, having started at 19th.
Driving in his final race for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton started in 16th place, much behind his teammate George Russell, who was at the start. Both drivers were neck-to-neck in the final lap of the race, with Hamilton constantly closing the gap between him and Russell. Right at the end, Hamilton overtook Russell in fourth place.
Driver of the Day
GRANDEEE CHARLES!!
From P19 to P3, Charles ends the season on a high with a podium 🤩💪#AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/MrthTFdMCb
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) December 8, 2024
Leclerc had a decent season, with three wins in the year, but a ten-place penalty for exceeding the battery allocation meant he started 19th at the back of the pack. A conundrum in the first lap meant the Monacan driver was able to recover well. Despite the challenges with medium tyres, Leclerc ensured that Ferrari ended their season on a high note, as both Ferraris took pole finishes, taking second place in the constructor’s championship.
His departing teammate, Sainz, was no less, after a brilliant season despite being replaced by Hamilton in the 2025 season. Sainz has won twice in the season after a decent start to the season. On the day, both drivers were close to taking to their team to their first title since 2008.
Lando Norris finished first in the Abu Dhabi GP to ensure McLaren finish ahead of Ferrari, as Lewis Hamilton ends his stint with Mercedes on a high. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
