Lando Norris wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Constructors' title for McLaren!

• 26 years later, McLaren is once again Constructors' World Champion in Formula 1 ! The British team won a 9th world title in its history, the first since 1998, at the end of an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix won by Lando Norris ! The Englishman took his fourth victory this season at the end of a race controlled from start to finish. Starting from pole position, the Briton – who therefore finished as vice-world champion in 2024 – quickly took the lead and led every lap to bring back a new world crown to Woking. The podium of this last race of the season was completed by Carlos Sainz et Charles Leclerc.
• However, this Abu Dhabi GP did not start ideally for McLaren: from the first corner, Zak Brown's team lost one of its two cars in the fight for victory, since Max Verstappen hit Oscar piastri trying to find the opening on the inside. The Australian was able to restart but in last place, while the Dutchman was penalized with a 10-second penalty… before calling the stewards “stupid idiots” on his radio. Oscar Piastri finally finished 10th, having himself been penalized 10 seconds after a collision with Franco Colapinto on the 3rd lap.

💥 OH THE PIASTRI/VERSTAPPEN CLASH! 💥

VERY lively start for this last Grand Prix of the year! Pérez retires, Leclerc gets off to a flying start, Pierre Gasly provisionally 3rd! #AbuDhabiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/DBbWfLEZWy

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) December 8, 2024

• Ferrari gave it their all and produced an excellent performance with this double podium, but it was not enough to steal the title from McLaren. Team needed to score big points and hope for misfortunes for McLaren, but Lando Norris was unfazed on Sunday. Second, Carlos Sainz failed to win by 5″8 while Charles Leclerc made a formidable comeback to 3rd place. The Monegasque, who started 19th, gained 11 positions from the first lap and managed to return to the front thanks to an offensive strategy on the track. The eight-time Grand Prix winner finished 3rd in the Drivers' Championship behind Lando Norris.
• The other "winning" stable is Alpine who secured his 6th place in the Constructors' Championship thanks to Pierre Gasly's 7th place in this Abu Dhabi GP. The Norman made an excellent start and found himself in 3rd position at the end of the first lap, taking advantage of the Verstappen-Piastri collision at the first corner. The Tricolore then held firm in front Nico Hulkenberg, only giving up positions to drivers who were supposed to be on faster single-seaters. With 65 points, the arrowed A finished 6th ahead of Haas (58 points), the same ranking as in 2023. For his first in Formula 1, Jack Doohan finished 15th one lap behind.
• This Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was also the Grand Prix of the last for some… and for most, their end of the journey was premature. Sergio Pérez – whose future at Red Bull darkens – did not finish the first turn and retired after a collision with Valtteri Bottas at the chicane of turns 6-7. For his last Grand Prix with Sauber, the Finn "distinguished" himself again on lap 31, by hitting Kevin Magnussen… at the same chicane as with Sergio Perez! Valtteri Bottas was forced to retire with broken suspension. Franco Colapinto also retired for his last with Williams, who suffered a puncture at the start of the race after being hit by Oscar Piastri.
• It was also the last Grand Prix of Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes ! The Briton, who started from 16th on the grid, made a fine comeback to 4th place – taking the scalp of George Russell on the last lap! – to conclude his long and glorious adventure with the Silver Arrows. The end of a chapter that he was able to celebrate at the end of the race with donuts on the start-finish line, he who will join Ferrari on January 1, 2025.

F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Ranking

ALSO READ > Red Bull admits mistake in extending Perez contract too early… and announces talks after Abu Dhabi