McLaren has clinched its ninth Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship, thanks to a victorious performance from Lando Norris and a 10th-place finish by Australian Oscar Piastri at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
While the ‘papaya’ team celebrated, it was a race to forget for Piastri. Starting from the front row alongside Norris, his race quickly descended into chaos when four-time World Champion Max Verstappen attempted an inside pass on the opening lap. Both cars spun out but fortunately sustained no major damage, with Verstappen receiving a 10-second time penalty for his role in the incident.
Disaster struck again when Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez caused a Virtual Safety Car situation after colliding with Valtteri Bottas’ Sauber, forcing him to pull off track.
Upon the restart, Piastri inadvertently clipped the back of Franco Colapinto’s Williams, resulting in another 10-second penalty as Colapinto was compelled to pit due to a puncture.
Norris, however, dominated the race from start to finish. Despite strong podium performances from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc alongside Norris, McLaren’s victory and Piastri’s single point were sufficient to secure the 2024 Constructors’ Championship over Ferrari. This marks McLaren’s first Constructors’ title since 1998, a time when neither Norris nor Piastri were born.
Norris finished as the runner-up in the Drivers’ Championship with 374 points, trailing Verstappen’s 437, while Piastri wrapped up the season in fourth with 292 points, significantly improved from his debut season tally of 97 in 2023.
Despite a challenging finale in Abu Dhabi, Piastri had an impressive season overall, securing Grand Prix victories in Hungary and Azerbaijan, making six additional podium appearances, and winning a Sprint Race in Qatar. He joins an elite group of just four drivers—Michael Schumacher (2002), Lewis Hamilton (2019), and Max Verstappen (2023)—who completed every lap in a season.
Making a surprise appearance in Abu Dhabi was Jack Doohan, stepping in for Esteban Ocon, who has been let go by Alpine as he prepares to join Haas in 2025.
With a confirmed Alpine seat alongside Pierre Gasly for 2025, Doohan’s Formula 1 debut was brought forward to Abu Dhabi.
Though he qualified 20th on Saturday, Doohan benefitted from penalties to other drivers, starting the race in 17th. He managed a quiet debut, steering clear of trouble to finish a commendable 15th.
The 2024 season marked a rare occasion with three Australians competing in Formula 1. Piastri was the highest-placed Aussie in fourth position in the Drivers’ Championship, whilst Daniel Ricciardo finished 17th with only 12 points after his season ended prematurely when he was let go following the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a landmark event for many, notably marking Lewis Hamilton’s final race with Mercedes after joining in 2013. It also signifies his last outing with a Mercedes power unit, having raced exclusively with the German manufacturer since 2007 during his time with both McLaren and Mercedes. Hamilton will don Ferrari red from the 2025 season onward.
Melbourne, Victoria, is set to play host to the next Formula 1 Grand Prix from 13–16 March 2025 for the Australian Grand Prix.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Race
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 58 1:26’33.291
2 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 58 1:26’39.123 5.832
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 58 1:27’05.219 31.928
4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 58 1:27’09.774 36.483
5 George Russell Mercedes 58 1:27’10.829 37.538
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 58 1:27’23.138 49.847
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 58 1:27’45.851 1’12.560
8 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 58 1:27’48.845 1’15.554
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 58 1:27’55.664 1’22.373
10 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 58 1:27’57.112 1’23.821
11 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 57 1:26’44.542 1 lap /11.251
12 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 57 1:26’48.029 1 lap /14.738
13 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 57 1:26’50.595 1 lap /17.304
14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 57 1:26’51.764 1 lap /18.473
15 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 57 1:26’59.846 1 lap /26.555
16 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 57 1:27’50.888 1 lap /1’17.597
17 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 55 1:24’36.949 Not running
Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 30 47’27.280 Accident damage
Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 26 41’10.430 Retirement
Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 0 – Retirement
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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