Ferrari enter the final race in Abu Dhabi with only one goal in their mind: to defeat McLaren and win their 17th Constructors Championship title this year.<\/p>\n
Ferrari are only 21 points away from the Constructors’ standings leader McLaren.<\/p>\n
The Qatar GP was not the end of the battle, as neither team will concede defeat in the game. However, there can only be one victor at the season finale.<\/p>\n
Just like the rest of the field, Leclerc started out on medium tyres while Sainz was on hards. Charles Leclerc<\/a>, who qualified second charged to attempt to take the lead from Max Verstappen. However, Verstappen eventually built a steady gap between him and the Monagasque.<\/p>\n Leclerc continued to defend P2 from Mercedes’ George Russell<\/a>. The Ferrari driver then momentarily faced a threat from Sergio Perez, who took over awhile from Russell.<\/p>\n However, that ended when Perez was given a five-second time penalty for his collision with Lando Norris. Hence, Russell regained third place from the Mexican.<\/p>\n Carlos Sainz<\/a> had a rough stint throughout the weekend. After a heavy crash during the second Free Practice session, he failed to qualify within the top ten.<\/p>\n Initially running in tenth place as the race was about to end, his usage of a single tyre compound led him to do a last-minute pitstop for worn tyres. This strategy error lost him some precious time and prevented him from finishing inside the points.<\/p>\n Leclerc finished the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in P2, while Sainz ended up in 18th. These Abu Dhabi results allowed Leclerc to move up to fifth in the Drivers Standings, but Sainz unfortunately dropped to seventh.<\/p>\n In other words, Ferrari clinched their ninth podium of the season. They wrapped up the year in third place in the Constructors’ standings. This brought back hopes of being a future title contender.<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/strong>: A Championship Decider Will Mark the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix<\/a><\/p>\n Without any upgrades this time, the Maranello-based team expects to increase their momentum and go all out for the season finale. As seen in the previous race in Qatar, everyone including Ferrari relentlessly chases for the points.<\/p>\n They thankfully managed to land in the top ten throughout the weekend in Qatar, despite the yellow-flagged, penalty-filled<\/a> madness.<\/p>\n The major upgrades, particularly after the breaks, did them wonders. Their recent strong form made them true Constructors’ rivals to McLaren<\/a>.<\/p>\n The second fastest team on the grid needs to make no errors here to win over their rivals, especially in the strategy aspect. The pitlane incident in Las Vegas nearly cost them points, though luckily Carlos Sainz got away with P3.<\/p>\n Abu Dhabi<\/a> also marks Carlos Sainz’s last outing with Ferrari, before passing the seat to Lewis Hamilton<\/a> next year. Sainz has been a solid driver and teammate for them thus far.<\/p>\n Four seasons, four wins and 24 podiums later, he expects another top-three result to add to his list of achievements. Not only that, this title win will be an excellent farewell gift<\/a> from him to the team.<\/p>\n You can expect him to use the best of his driving abilities for his swansong with the Italian squad on track.<\/p>\n YOU MAY ALSO LIKE<\/strong>: F1 Academy Expands Grid for 2025 Season<\/a><\/p>\n The final round of 2024 will be the last chance to bring an end to their 15-year title drought – where those years have been dominated by Mercedes and Red Bull.<\/p>\n Their comeback post-autumn break boosts their chances of remaining in title contention. Now that Red Bull is no longer fighting for the title, Ferrari will be heading on to achieve the ultimate goal.<\/p>\nWhat to Expect From Ferrari at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix<\/h4>\n
Will the Title Finally Be in Their Hands?<\/h4>\n