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5 Winners and 5 Losers from Abu Dhabi – Who signed off their season in style?
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The champagne corks were popping at McLaren as Lando Norris’ commanding victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix gave the iconic British team their first constructors’ championship since 1998. But as they celebrated, many of their rivals were left rueing what might have been at the Yas Marina Circuit. For one last time this year, Lawrence Barretto picks his winners and losers from Middle Eastern season finale.
Winners: McLaren
McLaren arrived in Abu Dhabi with a comfortable but not commanding 21-point buffer over rivals Ferrari (with just 44 remaining) and that position improved dramatically after Lando Norris led a front-row lockout.
But the blood pressure on the pit wall will have spiked within moments of the lights going out when champion Max Verstappen pitched Oscar Piastri into a spin, dropping the Australian to the back of the field.
They needn’t have worried, mind, as Norris had it all in hand up front, the Briton leading from start to finish for only the second time in his career to secure his fourth win of the season.
Norris' win in Abu Dhabi secured McLaren the 2024 constructors' title
That sealed McLaren a first constructors’ championship since 1998 and ended a wait of 26 years, which incidentally is the longest interval between championships for a constructor.
Norris, meanwhile, not only confirmed himself as a runner-up but more importantly delivered the kind of performance under pressure that marks him out as one of the favourites for the title next season.
Losers: Red Bull
Abu Dhabi was Red Bull’s worst result since Monaco, with the defending champions limping over the line to finish a lacklustre third in the constructors’ championship.
Verstappen’s hopes of a podium were hit hard when he pitched Piastri into a spin, picking up a 10-second penalty much to his disgust. The Dutchman battled hard, but sixth was the best he could do, ending a run of four successive victories at Yas Marina.
Sixth was the best Verstappen could manage in Abu Dhabi while his team mate retired
His team mate Sergio Perez had a more miserable time, the Mexican hit by Valtteri Bottas that pitched him into a spin. Perez suspected there was already a problem before that as he said he was upshifting and the gearbox was spinning – and he ultimately retired the car.
That was the Mexican’s second successive DNF and means he ends the season having scored just nine points in eight Grand Prix weekends – and with his future in the sport hanging in the balance.
Winner: Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz reminded Ferrari what they’ll be missing with a super drive to second in his final race for the Scuderia before he moves to Williams.
It was the Spaniard’s second podium in Abu Dhabi and fourth top-two finish of a season that was the best of his career.
His final year tally of 290 points included two victories and seven other podiums and saw him finish fifth, just two points behind Piastri.
Sainz secured second in his final race with Ferrari
Losers: Williams
Alex Albon looked set to give Williams a much-needed consolation point with an inverted one-stop strategy before he ran out of tyres and dropped out of the top-10.
His team mate Franco Colapinto was hit by Piastri, triggering a puncture and though he rejoined, the team was forced to retire the car with a suspected power unit issue. A frustrating end to his final race for the team.
The winter break couldn’t come soon enough for Williams. Relentless crash damage in a cost cap era has limited their ability to bring updates to the track this season and ultimately saw them fade to ninth in the championship.
Winner: Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton tried to put a brave face on a woeful qualifying, that was undone when he collected a rogue bollard, but his disappointment to qualify 18th fastest in his final race for Mercedes was clear.
But he turned things around on Sunday with a vintage performance. The seven-time champion sliced through the field to break into the top-10 and his comeback was complete with a sensational pass around the outside of team mate George Russell on the last lap to secure fourth.
It was the kind of performance that left no one in doubt that Hamilton has still got it as he prepares for a new chapter with Ferrari.
Hamilton signed off with the Mercedes on a high, securing a brilliant P4 after starting 16th
Loser: Valtteri Bottas
The high of securing his and Sauber’s best qualifying of the season with ninth quickly felt like a distant memory for Valtteri Bottas as his race unraveled within moments of it starting.
The Finn lightly clipped Perez, pitching the Mexican into a spin and triggering a 10-second time penalty that dropped him well out of contention.
As he pushed to recover positions, he admitted his mistake in getting his braking wrong and hitting Kevin Magnussen. It was a painful end to a painful final race for Sauber – and possibly F1.
Winner: Pierre Gasly
Pierre Gasly's sensational form continued into Abu Dhabi as he ended up a brilliant sixth quickest in qualifying.
The Frenchman defended masterfully from a much faster George Russell in the first stint and, while he ultimately dropped back to seventh, it was still enough to secure P6 for Alpine in the constructors’ championship.
Gasly’s three best results of the season came in his final four races, while seventh in Abu Dhabi helped him finish 10th in the drivers’ championship.
2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Bottas taps Magnussen into a spin
Losers: Haas
As Alpine celebrated, Haas were left to wonder what might have been as they were pipped to P6 in the constructors’ championship.
Nico Hulkenberg nabbed his 11th points finish of the season – but after a remarkable start for team mate Kevin Magnussen, which saw him gain seven places, the Dane faded out of the points after a slow pit stop and then getting spun by Bottas.
Nevertheless, having started the season expecting to be bottom of the pile, Haas have delivered an encouraging a competitive campaign and beat three of their rivals to end up P7.
Winner: Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc’s weekend started off badly when he got food poisoning – and then things got worse when he picked up a 10-place grid penalty for an engine component change.
But he put in a masterclass on Sunday to give Ferrari hope of snatching the constructors’ championship as he rose from 19th to third.
The gain of 16 places on his starting position was a career-best performance while his P3 behind Sainz meant Ferrari had both cars on the podium for the third time in six races.
A rollercoaster weekend for Leclerc ended with a P3 finish
Losers: RB
RB were favourites for P6 in the constructors’ championship after a strong first-half of the season, but they were hit hard by Alpine’s shock double podium in Brazil and edged out by a more consistent Haas.
In Abu Dhabi, Yuki Tsunoda briefly looked like he had a chance of points – despite having a problem off the start line that cost him a bunch of places – before he faded in the closing stages.
His team mate Liam Lawson was competitive but a 10-second penalty for being released with a loose front wheel ruled him out of contention.
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