Lando Norris’ controlled drive to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix led to jubilant celebrations for McLaren as the team became Formula 1 constructors’ champions for the first time since 1998. Ferrari left it all on the track with a double podium courtesy of an impressive recovery drive from Charles Leclerc, but it wasn’t enough to overhaul its McLaren rivals.
After locking out the front row, McLaren’s task of sealing the championship looked straightforward, until Oscar Piastri was dropped to the back of the grid after a Turn 1 incident with Max Verstappen. The pressure, then, was all on Norris to hold his lead at the front and he did just that, driving the perfect race to secure the championship for his team.
Carlos Sainz Jr. finished second in his final race with Ferrari, with Leclerc rising from 19th on the grid – including gaining 11 places on the opening lap, to join his team-mate on the podium in third. Ultimately, a 21-point gap was just too much for the Scuderia to make up.
Starting 16th in his final race with the Silver Arrows, Lewis Hamilton also put on a vintage drive to rise to fourth, secured with a spectacular pass on George Russell on the final lap and relegating his team-mate to fifth. Drivers’ champion Verstappen finished sixth, picking up a ten-second stop-go penalty for his incident with Piastri.
Pierre Gasly ended a remarkable 2024 season where he cost his team nothing in repairs with a seventh-place finish, securing Alpine that all-important sixth place in the constructors’ standings and beating out his Haas rival in the process – Nico Hülkenberg finished in eighth.
The final points of 2024 were awarded to Fernando Alonso for Aston Martin in ninth, and Piastri, who – after receiving a ten-second penalty of his own after a clash with Franco Colapinto – recovered best he could to add an extra point to the McLaren title-winning haul.
Position |
Driver |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Max Verstappen |
Red Bull |
437 |
2 |
Lando Norris |
McLaren |
374 |
3 |
Charles Leclerc |
Ferrari |
356 |
4 |
Oscar Piastri |
McLaren |
292 |
5 |
Carlos Sainz Jr. |
Ferrari |
290 |
6 |
George Russell |
Mercedes-AMG |
245 |
7 |
Lewis Hamilton |
Mercedes-AMG |
223 |
8 |
Sergio Pérez |
Red Bull |
152 |
9 |
Fernando Alonso |
Aston Martin |
70 |
10 |
Pierre Gasly |
Alpine |
42 |
11 |
Nico Hülkenberg |
Haas |
41 |
12 |
Yuki Tsunoda |
RB |
30 |
13 |
Lance Stroll |
Aston Martin |
24 |
14 |
Esteban Ocon |
Alpine |
23 |
15 |
Kevin Magnussen |
Haas |
16 |
16 |
Alex Albon |
Williams |
12 |
17 |
Daniel Ricciardo |
RB |
12 |
18 |
Oliver Bearman |
Haas |
7 |
19 |
Franco Colapinto |
Williams |
5 |
20 |
Zhou Guanyu |
Sauber |
4 |
21 |
Liam Lawson |
RB |
4 |
22 |
Valtteri Bottas |
Sauber |
0 |
23 |
Logan Sargeant |
Williams |
0 |
24 |
Jack Doohan |
Alpine |
0 |
Position |
Team |
Engine |
Points |
1 |
McLaren |
Mercedes |
666 |
2 |
Ferrari |
Ferrari |
652 |
3 |
Red Bull |
Honda RBPT |
589 |
4 |
Mercedes-AMG |
Mercedes |
468 |
5 |
Aston Martin |
Mercedes |
94 |
6 |
Alpine |
Renault |
65 |
7 |
Haas |
Ferrari |
58 |
8 |
RB |
Honda RBPT |
46 |
9 |
Williams |
Mercedes |
17 |
10 |
Sauber |
Ferrari |
4 |
Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.
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