Lando Norris wrapped up the 2024 F1 season in Abu Dhabi like a rockstar Sunday, delivering a masterclass of dominance that not only handed him the race win but also clinched McLaren’s first constructors’ championship since 1998. Yes, you read that right—papaya is back on top.
“It feels incredible, not for myself but for the whole team,” said Norris. “The team have done an amazing job this year to come from where we were at the beginning. I’m so proud of everyone – it’s been a lovely journey, and to end the season like this is perfect, so just a congrats and big thank you to everyone in McLaren, everyone in papaya, everyone who supported us this year because it’s been a tough one. For us to win a constructors’ after 26 years is pretty special.”
From the lights out, Norris was in a league of his own, while chaos erupted behind him. Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen decided to make things spicy in the fight for second, tangling like two shopping carts in a crowded parking lot. Verstappen earned himself a penalty, and Piastri tumbled down the order. Just for fun, the Aussie collected another penalty later for taking out Franco Colapinto’s Williams. Who said Sunday drives were boring?
Meanwhile, Norris was gliding around like he was on a casual Sunday cruise. Ferrari tried their best to play spoiler, with Carlos Sainz finishing a solid second. Charles Leclerc? The man launched himself from P19 to third like he’d been shot out of a cannon, reminding everyone why Ferrari still gets its name whispered in reverent tones, even if they can’t always deliver.
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 08: Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, celebrates on the grid at the end of the race during F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 08, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Andy Hone/LAT Images)
Back in fourth, Lewis Hamilton pulled the ultimate mic drop in his last Mercedes outing, snatching the spot from George Russell at the death. Verstappen, recovering from his earlier slap on the wrist, rolled in sixth—not exactly the Red Bull fairy tale we’re used to, but it beats the alternative. Behind him, Pierre Gasly secured Alpine’s P6 constructors’ finish, Nico Hülkenberg kept Haas in the mix at eighth, and Fernando Alonso managed ninth for Aston Martin, still proving age is just a number. Piastri rounded out the top ten, a bittersweet result for the Australian rookie after McLaren’s massive team triumph.
Further down, Alex Albon came up just short of points for Williams, while Yuki Tsunoda and Zhou Guanyu wrapped up their seasons with little fanfare. Lance Stroll barely made a blip in P14, and Alpine’s Jack Doohan, making his F1 debut, crossed the line 15th—consider that his warm-up lap for next year.
As for the DNFs, it was a farewell tour of misery. Liam Lawson’s RB literally went up in smoke, Valtteri Bottas’s Sauber gave up after a puncture, and Franco Colapinto parked his Williams early, likely muttering a few choice words in the process. The pièce de résistance? Sergio Perez spun on Lap 1, played bumper cars with Bottas, and called it a day. Speculation about his future? Oh, it’s louder than ever.
And with that, the 2024 season closes—Lando Norris at the top of his game, McLaren roaring back into glory, and the rest of us left to wonder how the grid will shuffle when the circus rolls into 2025.
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 08: Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 1st position, and Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, on the podium with the trophies during F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 08, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Glenn Dunbar/LAT Images)
Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Results
|
Pos |
No |
Driver |
Car |
Laps |
Time/retired |
Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
4 |
Lando Norris |
McLaren Mercedes |
58 |
1:26:33.291 |
25 |
|
2 |
55 |
Carlos Sainz |
Ferrari |
58 |
+5.832s |
18 |
|
3 |
16 |
Charles Leclerc |
Ferrari |
58 |
+31.928s |
15 |
|
4 |
44 |
Lewis Hamilton |
Mercedes |
58 |
+36.483s |
12 |
|
5 |
63 |
George Russell |
Mercedes |
58 |
+37.538s |
10 |
|
6 |
1 |
Max Verstappen |
Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT |
58 |
+49.847s |
8 |
|
7 |
10 |
Pierre Gasly |
Alpine Renault |
58 |
+72.560s |
6 |
|
8 |
27 |
Nico Hulkenberg |
Haas Ferrari |
58 |
+75.554s |
4 |
|
9 |
14 |
Fernando Alonso |
Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes |
58 |
+82.373s |
2 |
|
10 |
81 |
Oscar Piastri |
McLaren Mercedes |
58 |
+83.821s |
1 |
|
11 |
23 |
Alexander Albon |
Williams Mercedes |
57 |
+1 lap |
0 |
|
12 |
22 |
Yuki Tsunoda |
RB Honda RBPT |
57 |
+1 lap |
0 |
|
13 |
24 |
Zhou Guanyu |
Kick Sauber Ferrari |
57 |
+1 lap |
0 |
|
14 |
18 |
Lance Stroll |
Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes |
57 |
+1 lap |
0 |
|
15 |
61 |
Jack Doohan |
Alpine Renault |
57 |
+1 lap |
0 |
|
16 |
20 |
Kevin Magnussen |
Haas Ferrari |
57 |
+1 lap |
0 |
|
17 |
30 |
Liam Lawson |
RB Honda RBPT |
55 |
DNF |
0 |
|
NC |
77 |
Valtteri Bottas |
Kick Sauber Ferrari |
30 |
DNF |
0 |
|
NC |
43 |
Franco Colapinto |
Williams Mercedes |
26 |
DNF |
0 |
|
NC |
11 |
Sergio Perez |
Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT |
0 |
DNF |
0 |
|
* Provisional results. Note – Stroll received a five-second time penalty for track limits infringements. |
||||||
Greg has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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