2024 Abu Dhabi GP: An F1 Race for the Generations

As the sun set on the 2024 F1 season, the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP summed up the entire season.

With drama on track, new faces rising, overtaking action, and a new champion crowned at the end, the race had everything.

More so, it marked the end of an era as several drivers will part ways with their respective teams at the end of the season.

2024 Abu Dhabi GP: F1 serves up a thrilling finale as the cherry on top of the cake

In many ways, the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP would serve as a cherry on top of the cake. It summed up everything the 2024 F1 season was about.

Newer names rising to the fore, a new champion, and plenty of action made for a race worth watching.

For the first time since 2008, two teams other than Red Bull and Mercedes were scrapping away for a title.

It was a return to F1’s roots, with Ferrari and McLaren contesting the title this time. Both teams had built up excellent campaigns heading into the weekend.

McLaren’s development trajectory took a giant leap in 2024, ever since Norris took victory in Miami.

On the other hand, Ferrari carved up their own path to the top, after several patchy championship challenges. The Scuderia have been best known for dropping the ball on race strategies in the past or being unable to translate qualifying pace into race victory.

Both teams had scored five race wins heading into the weekend, sitting 21 points apart on the standings. To stand any chance at winning, Ferrari had to finish 1-2 in the race, with both McLarens off the podium.

Improbable, but the old adage in F1 “Never say never” always kept Ferrari in with a chance.

There was also the battle for P6, with Alpine holding the advantage ahead of Haas and VCARB. With Haas breathing down their neck, this would make for an interesting narrative across the weekend.

With that, let’s recap some of the biggest storylines from the Abu Dhabi season finale.

McLaren take their first Constructors’ title in this century with calculated 2024 Abu Dhabi GP showing

McLaren instantly set the pace in Abu Dhabi, looking frighteningly quick from the outset. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri topped Free Practice 2 and 3, showcasing their pace over one lap and long runs.

Ferrari, however, faced early struggles. Leclerc missed Thursday activities due to food poisoning and returned on Friday, only for Ferrari to replace his battery, earning him a 10-place grid penalty. This setback came at a critical weekend for their title hopes.

McLaren’s advantage grew in qualifying. Leclerc’s hopes of taking pole were dashed when his fastest Q2 lap exceeded track limits.

This dropped him to 14th, and with the penalty, he started P19 – a major hit to Ferrari’s title chances. McLaren secured a 1-2, while Sainz gave Ferrari a lifeline by qualifying third.

Despite the odds, Leclerc remained optimistic, believing in miracles and the unpredictability of F1.

Turn 1 on Lap 1 nearly delivered the unthinkable. Max Verstappen’s aggressive move on Oscar Piastri resulted in contact, spinning both drivers and allowing Sainz to jump into second behind Norris.

Leclerc had a phenomenal start, surging from 19th to 8th in just one lap. He quickly gained three more spots, aiming for George Russell’s Mercedes and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine next.

An undercut strategy allowed the Monegasque to jump both of them on the road, running the bare minimum of P3 behind Sainz and Norris. Piastri had served his ten-second penalty for a separate lap 1 incident and was beginning to recover from 15th on the grid.

Despite their best efforts, Sainz and Ferrari couldn’t reel Norris in. The Briton drove a composed race, extending the gap to the Spaniard to 7 seconds, doing just enough to deliver McLaren their first Constructors’ title in 26 years.

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Lewis Hamilton bids farewell to Silver Arrows with storming comeback drive

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton appeared slightly downbeat, heading into Abu Dhabi. A forgettable race weekend in Qatar left him wondering if the same would repeat in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton had been vocal about his struggles in 2024, having wondered if he had lost any of his pace across the year. The 7-time champion had struggled with his Mercedes on numerous occasions all year.

The same appeared to be the case after qualifying, as he wound up only 18th in qualifying. Many wondered if Hamilton would receive the farewell he rightfully deserved. Would a glittering time at Mercedes come to a dour end?

Nevertheless, Hamilton showed he wasn’t one to back down. When the odds were stacked against him, he would find a way to fight back.

Starting on the Hard tyre allowed him to go deep into the race, and he ran as high as third. Pitting later than most, Hamilton put on medium tyres, as he carved through the pack.

With the words of his long-time race engineer Peter Bonnington, “Hammer Time” in his ears, Hamilton set off on the projected P3 finish his team had envisioned.

He dispatched Gasly and Hulkenberg in quick succession, before setting his sights on the 14-second gap to teammate Russell ahead. It would be a late battle.

Hamilton managed to close down the gap to Russell on Lap 57. With one last lap, he set himself up for an overtake into turn six. Despite not getting close enough, the 39-year-old sent it around the outside of the winding turn 9, the final overtaking zone on the track.

He made it stick, much to the delight of the fans. A sterling comeback drive was the perfect parting gift for Hamilton, who signed off his career with celebratory donuts on the main straight.

Alpine edge out Haas for P6 in the standings

Alpine had soared up to P6 in the standings after the Sao Paulo GP when Ocon and Gasly took a historic double podium for the team. Famously dubbed as the $50 million move, Alpine would maintain this if they held on to sixth in the standings.

The French team came into Abu Dhabi on the back of a big weekend in Qatar. Gasly’s P5 ensured they climbed back up to sixth in the standings, five points ahead of Haas.

The surprises in qualifying saw Nico Hulkenberg qualify a lofty 4th on the road, while Gasly finished only two spots behind, in sixth.

However, a 3-place grid penalty for overtaking in the pit lane saw the German drop to 7th. Suddenly, Alpine were the ones in the ascendancy, with Gasly up in fifth.

Albeit out of chance, this elevation would be crucial come race day, with Gasly running third after the shenanigans on lap 1. The Frenchman held off Russell in the Mercedes during the first stint.

However, come the pit stops, the Mercedes driver made his way past, as did Leclerc and champion Max Verstappen. This left Gasly in 7th, but he still sat ahead of the leading Haas of Hulkenberg in 8th.

Despite this, his efforts were enough to secure sixth in the standings, ensuring Alpine ended an extremely difficult season on a strong note. Gasly ended the season in the top ten of the Drivers’ standings, only one point ahead of Hulkenberg.

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A disastrous end to 2024 for Red Bull Racing

In a way, the Abu Dhabi GP summed up the season for Red Bull Racing. After such a near-perfect season in 2023, it all came apart in 2024, costing them the Constructors’ championship.

Verstappen’s eye-popping sideways moment in qualifying would do nothing to stop him. However, he failed to improve on his fastest lap, eventually dropping down to fifth, behind Hulkenberg.

While Sergio Perez made it into Q3 for the second race in succession, he started only P10 for the race, behind the KICK Sauber of Valtteri Bottas.

However, the Red Bull attack fell apart right from the first turn on Sunday. Verstappen’s unsuccessful move on Piastri crippled both races, with the Dutchman earning a 10-second penalty for his actions.

Further in the lap, Bottas made contact with Perez, spinning the Mexican around. He would trundle on, before retiring the car. The Mexican had scored only nine points since the Azerbaijan GP. To cap off his torrid season, his 8th position finish marked the worst finishing position for a champion’s teammate since Verstappen’s father Jos in 1994, to Michael Schumacher at Benetton.

Verstappen, meanwhile, climbed back up to P6, salvaging eight points to end off his campaign. All in all, the race summed up how Red Bull had fallen from the highs of 2023, to scrambling points at the end of 2024.

Drivers’ standings