F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024 Review: Lando Norris signs off with McLaren title win

Lando Norris rounded out a successful season for McLaren by winning the final race of the 2024 Formula One season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. His win confirmed McLaren’s triumph in the Constructors’ Championship—their first in 26 years!

While Norris couldn’t take the Drivers’ title, the Constructors’ is a fitting title for the Woking-based team, who have toiled hard over the last few seasons to reach the front of the grid. They were pushed right to the end, however, as Ferrari picked up a double podium in Abu Dhabi, but Norris’ win put McLaren 14 points clear of the Scuderia.

For Ferrari, it was Carlos Sainz in his final race for the Italian team who finished second ahead of Charles Leclerc, who fought back from the back of the grid in a stunning recovery drive to finish third.

Lewis Hamilton brought the curtain down on his decorated Mercedes career with a superb recovery drive, finishing fourth ahead of his teammate George Russell, while the World Champion, Max Verstappen, finished sixth.

Pierre Gasly finished seventh, with Nico Hülkenberg, Fernando Alonso, and Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri rounding out the points places. 

Gasly’s P7 finish saw Alpine clinch the sixth place in the Constructors’ from Haas as VCARB missed out in Abu Dhabi altogether. Red Bull’s under-fire driver Sergio Pérez finished his season with another retirement, signing off a woeful campaign without seeing the chequered flag. It remains to be seen whether the Mexican will return to the grid next year. 

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The race got off to a chaotic start as Norris got things going, but inside the first corner itself Piastri and Verstappen came together, which spun the Australian and dropped him right to the back of the grid. A few corners later, Verstappen’s teammate also spun; Pérez was hit by Valtteri Bottas, which ended his race.

After a chaotic opening laps, it was smooth sailing up front for Norris from Sainz, with Gasly making up the places early on. Leclerc and Hamilton, meanwhile, were on a charge of their own as they were up into the points places from the back of the grid within the opening 13 laps. 

There was little trouble for Norris up ahead, but there was plenty of action and collisions behind him as Bottas suffered a puncture late on in Lap 31 and smashed into Kevin Magnussen; the Finn had to retire as well. Verstappen, meanwhile, was on a charge of his own after the opening-lap incident and moved into the top six by Lap 45, by which point Norris had opened up a gap of more than five seconds to Sainz, with Leclerc further behind.

Norris ultimately eased to a comfortable win, while Hamilton passed his teammate, Russell, on the final lap, picking up a well-earned P4 in his final drive for Mercedes. Leclerc finished ahead of ahead of him in P3, making up 16 places, as the two Ferrari drivers’ effort to steal the Constructors’ title from McLaren went in vain. 

Also read: Formula One Sponsors 2024

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Norris’ win brings to an end the 2024 Formula One season, though the cars will be back in action soon at the Yas Marina Circuit again in a couple of days for the post-season testing, with the pre-season testing scheduled for February 26–28 next year in Bahrain.

The 2025 Formula One season will get underway on March 14, 2025, with the Australian Grand Prix.