Lando Norris wins the Abu Dhabi GP and McLaren is crowned World Champion

Thanks to a flawless race, Lando Norris wins the Abu Dhabi GP, and McLaren is crowned 2024 World Champion. Ferrari has achieved an impressive double podium with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, but it wasn’t enough to complete their mission.

Lando Norris
Photo: Motorsport Images

In an exciting, thrilling, and emotional season finale, McLaren won the Constructors' Championship, 26 years after their last victory: it's their 9th title. 

Lando Norris delivered a perfect weekend, shouldering the team’s expectations and ultimately fulfilling McLaren's dreams under the fireworks of Abu Dhabi. The twenty-five-year-old deserves credit for handling the immense pressure on the British team in these final days, as they had to get the job done.

For Norris, it was a relatively calm race in terms of on-track action, as he started from pole and stayed ahead throughout. However, the real challenge for him was managing the emotions, expectations, and the world watching, while executing everything perfectly.

However, in the final races, the FIA seemed to change its approach compared to earlier in the season, showing a firmer hand and giving heavier penalties in situations that could be considered racing incidents.

Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Max Verstappen
Photo: Motorsport Images

As celebrations began in McLaren's garage, Ferrari, who fought until the last lap, faced a heavy disappointment. For Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, it would have been the perfect ending to their four years together before Sainz moves to Williams. Leclerc, in particular, was upset at the end of the race, but Ferrari has much to be proud of, both for their performance today and for coming so close to the title.

Carlos Sainz, emotional about his departure from his home for the last four years, finished 2nd. He couldn't keep up with Norris' pace, who was like a metronome lap after lap, but he still secured one final podium in red.

Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, completed an impressive race, making a remarkable comeback from P19 to P3, claiming a podium that seemed almost impossible given his starting position. At the finish, the Monegasque shared a look with Lewis Hamilton, both aware of what needs to be done next year to return to the top with Ferrari.

Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc
Photo: Motorsport Images

Lewis Hamilton crossed the line in 4th in his final race with Mercedes. He made an excellent recovery drive from P16. He and George Russell entered this weekend even in points over the last three seasons (as teammates), and in the end, the seven-time world champion came out on top, overtaking Russell on the final lap.

Max Verstappen finished 6th after a challenging season with his RB20, which still saw him crowned world champion. He can now take a well-deserved break. Pierre Gasly took 7th place, securing Alpine's sixth-place finish in the Constructors' Championship.

Lewis Hamilton
Photo: Motorsport Images

Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen helped Haas secure seventh in the championship, with Hulkenberg finishing 8th at the Emirati track, while Magnussen finished outside the points in what was most likely his last race in F1.

Speaking of goodbyes, Sergio Perez, whose future in Formula 1 is uncertain, retired early due to a contact with Bottas. The Finn also had to retire with a puncture. Franco Colapinto, in his final race with Williams, also ended his race early, and Liam Lawson, rumored to be in line for a seat at Red Bull in 2025, was also forced to retire.

The 2024 season ends here. It has been an incredible season, full of ups and downs for all teams and drivers, packed with twists, emotions, and tension. In 2025, we expect a fierce battle between the top four teams (McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes) that will hopefully provide thrilling but fair racing, with a more consistent and clear set of regulations from the FIA.

This long season has just ended, but we can’t wait for the next one to begin.

Lando Norris
Photo: Motorsport Images

Abu Dhabi GP results

1) Lando Norris - 1:26:33.291 - 58 laps
2) Carlos Sainz +5.832
3) Charles Leclerc +31.928
4) Lewis Hamilton +36.483
5 George Rusell +37.538
6) Max Verstappen +49.847
7) Pierre Gasly +72.298
8) Nico Hulkenberg +75.374
9) Fernando Alonso +82.470
10) Oscar Piastri +83.896
11) Alexander Albon +1 lap
12) Lance Stroll +1 lap
13) Yuki Tsunoda +1 lap
14) Zhou Guanyu +1 lap
15) Jack Doohan +1 lap
16) Kevin Magnussen +1 lap

Did not finish
Liam Lawson – lap 58
Valtteri Bottas – lap 31
Franco Colapinto – lap 28
Sergio Perez – lap 1