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The weekend that seemed like it would never come is finally here. Lewis Hamilton will race in Abu Dhabi for his last race as a Mercedes driver before moving to Ferrari in 2025. With this, the most successful driver-team partnership of all time comes to an end. The numbers, updated through the Qatar Grand Prix, are impressive: 245 Grand Prix, 84 wins, 153 podiums, 78 pole positions, and most notably, six World Championships. These are all records; no driver had ever achieved these numbers with a single team. The debates that flared up at the end of 2012 now seem laughable when Lewis Hamilton left McLaren for a team that had just finished 5th in the Constructors’ Championship. It seemed like a move driven purely by financial interests, one that would ruin his career from a sporting perspective. In reality, it was probably the best market move ever made in Formula 1. Even to those who doubted him, Lewis Hamilton now speaks, thanking the team he called home for over ten years, with whom he became an icon that, at times, was even bigger than Formula 1 itself.
"Now we are really here, it’s my last race with Mercedes. What we have built over the years is nothing short of historic. People doubted me when I made this move in 2013, and look where we are now. The records we’ve broken and the championships we’ve won speak for themselves. This won’t be the last time I thank Mercedes, but getting to the last race with this team is emotional. It really is the end of an era in my life, my career, for the team, and for the history of F1. I’m proud of what we’ve created, and proud of every single person who has been a part of this with me. Thank you. It really happened, now let’s do it again one more time".
Lewis Hamilton is the main protagonist in the opening press conference of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend. And, of course, it couldn’t have been otherwise:
"At my first meeting with Toto at the start of the year, there was a bit of awkwardness. I expected it to be difficult to tell the team members, but I hugely underestimated how hard it would be. The relationship was tested from the start because it took time for many people to accept what was going to happen and to get over it. On a personal level, it has been an emotional year, and I don’t think I handled my emotions or dealt with them in the best way. During my career, you’ve seen me at my best and my worst, but I won’t apologize because I’m human and I can’t be perfect. But I can say this has been one of my worst years, so I have to work to do better".
The British driver also touches on the emotions that will accompany his move to Maranello, without forgetting another special aspect of his legacy at Mercedes: the battle he has been leading against racism and discrimination.
"Ferrari is not something I’m thinking about at the moment; I just want to finish as well as I can with Mercedes. I am certainly feeling a lot of emotion. Then, undoubtedly, joining Ferrari reignites my motivation. It’s every driver’s dream. However, it takes time to integrate into a team. I will adopt the same mindset I had when I first arrived at Mercedes. The fight against racism? I’m really proud of the work we’ve done at Mercedes. Ours is a truly inclusive and diverse team".
Meanwhile, the Mercedes team reciprocates with an extraordinary farewell letter to Lewis Hamilton:
"Thank You, Lewis. Ready to write the final chapter in an incredible story. 245 races. 84 wins. 78 pole positions. 153 podium finishes. Eight World Constructors' Championships. Six World Drivers' Championships. A career that, to this point, has been powered solely by Mercedes-Benz; over 20.000 racing laps and 100.000 racing kilometers. This weekend marks the closing chapter in the longest and most successful team-driver partnership in the sport's history. The final race of a relationship with the three-pointed star that began 26 years ago. Saying farewell after such a journey together is therefore about so much more than just marking records and statistics. It’s about paying tribute to a remarkable individual. Recognizing a person who has catalyzed and led change in our sport".
So the German team adds:
"How together, we have strived to make a lasting impact far beyond podium celebrations and trophy collections. Launching this evening, and working with London-based agency AMV BBDO, the team has created a global campaign that pays tribute to Lewis’s remarkable record, capturing the highs and lows of 12 seasons together. Every Dream Needs a Team bridges between the hopes of the young Lewis Hamilton aiming for F1, and the aspirations of the next generation he has inspired. One that sees our sport as a place where they can achieve their own hopes and dreams. Every dream needs a team speaks to the essential truth of our sport that Lewis has always recognized - that we win, and we lose, together. That success is a collective endeavor. The centerpiece is a film produced, thanks to the support and collaboration of Formula One, by prettybird and directed by Grammy Award winner Melina Matsoukas. It blends young people for whom Lewis has been an inspirational figure - including our next generation of Mercedes F1 racers, karters Luna Fluxa, Kenzo Craigie, and James Anagnostiadis - with iconic archive from Lewis’s time with the team, and his own early career. It is underscored by Stormzy’s iconic track Blinded by Your Grace, Pt.2 and includes original commentary from some of the team’s most memorable moments. The film is only the starting point for the team’s tributes to Lewis and his achievements. An outdoor campaign featuring iconic photography of Lewis and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team will light up landmarks in Kuala Lumpur, the UK, and the US, including locations such as Times Square. Over the race weekend in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton will carry the campaign message on his car, underscored with the names of 150 fans, representing the millions of loyal followers who have been part of the incredible journey. Toto also recorded an open voice note for Lewis, offering heartfelt parting words and advice. A modern-day equivalent of an open letter, the note captures Toto’s perspective as both a leader and a friend. Distributed via WhatsApp, the voice note reflects the campaign’s emphasis on connection, authenticity, and shared memories. From out-of-home advertising in the UK, US, and Malaysia, 150 fan names being carried on Lewis’s car, a special message from our partner WhatsApp on his clothing, to the final farewell among teammates at the end of next week, we will honor the remarkable role Lewis has played in our team - and the defining achievements of his years with us. Lewis has achieved every possible dream with Mercedes that he could have possibly imagined as a young racer. But racing in red is something you simply can’t do with the Silver Arrows. So, as he heads to Maranello with our deep gratitude and warmest of wishes in a few weeks’ time, we will turn the page and begin the next chapter of our adventure. But that’s for then, and this is for now. In the coming days, our message is simple: thank you, Lewis".
Overwhelmed by emotion, Lewis Hamilton says after reading the letter:
"I’m pretty calm right now".
Carlos Sainz Jr. is also set to experience his last Formula 1 weekend with Scuderia Ferrari in Abu Dhabi. However, there won’t be much room for sentimentality, as the Maranello team is focused on fighting for the Constructors’ Championship title against McLaren. And while not hiding his emotions about wearing the red uniform for the last time in his career, the Spanish driver is focused on trying the difficult feat (not easy given the 21-point gap to close in a single race) of bringing the World Championship victory back to Maranello after sixteen years of waiting.
"This weekend will be quite emotional and intense, not only because it’s my last with the team, but also because the Constructors' title is still up for grabs. At the same time, it has been a difficult period in general with a lot happening behind the scenes, but I have to be proud of how I’ve handled every situation throughout the year and how I’ve managed to push through, getting to the end of the season still in good shape and ready to fight. Leaving Ferrari with the title would mean everything to me".
So he adds:
"It would be the best way to say goodbye to what has been my home for the last four years. I’ve given my best to the team over these years, enjoying every moment, and to say farewell with the World Championship would be the perfect way to end. But I also have to be honest… I wouldn’t say it’s an unlikely possibility, but it will definitely be a tough task. We are 21 points behind two of the fastest drivers and one of the fastest teams on the grid, and closing that gap would require absolute perfection on our part. Or a not optimal, or negative, weekend for them. But unlikely things can happen in racing, so we will give it our all".
Adapting to the Yas Marina circuit will surely be crucial, as will the role of the rival teams:
"It will be a very tight battle, not only between Ferrari and McLaren but also with Mercedes and Red Bull. We are all within a few tenths of each other, so the result will depend on the track and the tire compounds used, as well as the wind and the conditions. Any car could prevail over the others… Last weekend, it seemed like McLaren was going to win, and in the end, Verstappen won. Earlier, Russell won in Las Vegas, and I won in Mexico, with Max still ahead in Brazil. There’s such a tight fight between the different teams that you can’t pick a favorite every weekend; you have to wait for the practice sessions to see who seems the strongest".
Scuderia Ferrari arrives at the final race in Abu Dhabi with the chance to take home the World Championship title that has been missing since 2008. Of course, it won’t be an easy task, as they trail McLaren by 21 points, but after three double wins for Red Bull Racing in the first four races, it was difficult to predict the possibility of winning a World Championship on the final weekend of the season. Charles Leclerc reflects on the ups and downs, saying:
"After Montreal, the races haven’t been pleasant. We had just put an upgrade on the car, and I had to go to extreme settings to understand what was wrong. It was really hard to drive".
Finding the high point is easy:
"Monaco, everything went well there. From FP1 to the race, we had no issues, and I felt good throughout the whole weekend".
After four seasons, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Scuderia Ferrari will part ways at the end of the Abu Dhabi race. Tensions between Charles Leclerc and the Spanish driver have risen in recent times, exacerbated by their respective factions on social media. The Monegasque driver, with great class, aims to close the chapter without controversy:
"If we look back at the four years together, there are many good memories that come to mind. We had an exceptional collaboration, and we’ve always been very close in terms of performance. We’ve always had a good relationship, even though there have been moments on track with more tension. But we always came out stronger. That’s also Carlos’s strength; he knows how to separate what happens on track from what happens off it. We have a great relationship. We come into this weekend with a lot of memories but also the motivation to finish this in the best possible way to win the Constructors' World Championship".
After four seasons, during which he earned four wins, six poles, and 23 podiums, Carlos Sainz Jr. speaks openly about the phone call he never wanted to receive:
"The feeling of that call at the end of January, when I was told I wouldn’t stay at Ferrari – which I thought would never come – was the lowest moment of my four years".
Seven months passed between the decision by Ferrari’s top management and the official announcement of his move to Williams Racing, during which there were numerous rumors about his future:
"That’s how it went, or as my coach Pierluigi Della Bona says in Roman dialect: 'It had to go like this.' But as a final season, all of this gave me a push. I wanted to do things even better. Maybe it helped me in that sense. On the other hand, I know it was tough during that period, not knowing where I would race in 2025, the rumors that were out there, and every weekend the media asking about my future. It wasn’t easy. Both of these situations weren’t easy. But I’m proud of having had a relatively good season, considering the circumstances I was in".
Carlos Sainz Jr. doesn’t deny that it’s been a very complicated year:
"A driver needs stability to perform at that level every time, and I had zero stability this year. I didn’t know which team I would be with for the next World Championship, and I knew I would be leaving a team at the end of the season. In the great seasons of Formula 1, the great drivers are 100% in a team with a medium-to-long-term project, knowing that they are part of it to all move in the same direction. The uncertainty I found myself in did motivate me, but if you want to fight for a season, you need everything to be calm and perfect around you. A perfect team, in other words. I’m not saying I didn’t have that this year, but it definitely wasn’t the ideal situation".
At Yas Marina, all eyes will be on the battle between McLaren and Scuderia Ferrari for the Constructors' World Championship, with the Woking team leading by 21 points. A highly anticipated challenge for all the drivers involved, including Oscar Piastri, who sets out the main objectives during the pre-weekend press conference:
"We are still confident, and we are still in a good position considering the advantage we have. I think it will be a very tight weekend between the top four teams, not just between us and Ferrari. This means that other teams could potentially play a role in deciding the championship. So, we’ll need to focus on ourselves, trying to get the most out of the car we have, and then we’ll see how things go, but I believe we are in a good position to prevail in the end".
McLaren has made great progress this season, and they are close to clinching their first World Championship title since 1998, which can be achieved with performances similar to those of the recent races:
"During some races in the second part of the season, especially when we started to close the gap to Verstappen, we felt the urgency to stay in the fight for the Drivers’ Championship, and now there’s a similar scenario for the Constructors’. It didn’t go exactly as we wanted in Qatar as a team, but I think confidence is still there. Clearly, the stakes are high this weekend, but the best way to approach it is to continue doing what we’ve been doing lately, trying to get the most out of our car. It’s still too early to focus too much on what Ferrari is doing, so we’ll have to keep one or both eyes on our own performance".
From a purely personal perspective, Oscar Piastri achieved his first Formula 1 victories this year in Hungary and Azerbaijan, commenting on what has been his first season not as a rookie:
"I believe there has been a personal improvement compared to my rookie season, but there is still room for growth. In some races early on in the season and in some more recent ones, I didn’t perform as well as I would have liked, but as a team, there were also races during the year where we could have handled things better. Especially in the middle part of the season, I was very happy with the level I reached, and I think there were quite clear improvements from 2023. In qualifying, I made things a bit hard for myself, but last year, in several cases, I wouldn’t have had the tools to recover, as I managed to do this year. So, I think there have been some good improvements, but there’s still room for growth".
For Lando Norris, there is also a desire to put the 10-second Stop&Go penalty from the last race in Qatar behind him for not respecting the yellow flags, a penalty he deemed harsh:
"There were yellow lights, but it’s impossible for a driver to notice them. I was pretty disappointed, and I let a lot of people down, but it’s all water under the bridge now. I apologized to the team, I never want something like this to happen. I’m usually pretty good at these things, and I wouldn’t take that kind of risk. It was unfortunate, it’s difficult to see yellow flags in the dark and things like that, but it happened, and I feel like I’ve moved past it quite well. I have to accept the penalty, but it wasn’t like there was someone on track. It was a rearview mirror issue, and if it’s something that serious, the race should have been stopped. A double yellow means you need to be ready to stop, but no driver is ready to stop when they’re going 300 km/h. I didn’t see the yellow flag, I got the penalty, and I paid the price. I think everyone agrees that the penalty was harsh considering what was visible and what the actual danger was".
Just like his teammate, Lando Norris believes that the battle between McLaren and Ferrari could be influenced by other teams as well:
"For the whole season, there has been pressure to deliver results, especially in the second half of the year. I’m sure everyone inside the team feels a little more nervous heading into the final race, but at the same time, nothing should change. The work we’re doing is very good. What’s the most important lesson we’ve learned this year? That we can fight for the World Championship next year. I believe this weekend will be a close battle between all four teams. I don’t expect any of us to be much ahead. I think last weekend it was clear in the race that Max and I were the fastest by a certain margin. But if you look at the day before, Russell seemed the fastest with the Mercedes. So, there are these two elements, and on Friday, initially, the Ferraris seemed the best. So, there are four teams that can win. We’re confident we can do a good job and execute everything well, but I have no idea whether we’ll be ahead or behind these four".
In the days leading up to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, rumors are intensifying about Red Bull Racing’s imminent decision to release Sergio Perez for the 2025 season, despite a signed contract between the two parties. Perez's performance has been too weak, failing to finish in the top-five in the last seventeen races. The favorite to replace him seems to be Liam Lawson, who is likely to be preferred over Yuki Tsunoda.
"Nothing has changed. I have a contract for next year and I’ll be driving for Red Bull next year. I have nothing else to add".
Says Sergio Perez to the journalists in Abu Dhabi, adding:
"There’s a reason they renewed my contract, and they know I can still make it, and that’s an important factor. I think it’s important to stay united".
Sergio Perez's few points (152 compared to his teammate's 429) have cost Red Bull Racing the Constructors' Championship title, for which they are already out of the race, being 59 points behind McLaren. Sergio Perez doesn't hide and says:
"Of course, I take responsibility for this result, but I don’t think it all depends on just one person. I’m part of a great organization, a great team, and it’s really a shame we haven’t been able to fight harder for the Constructors’ World Championship".
However, surprisingly, defending the Mexican driver is Max Verstappen, with whom relations had been at a low point just a few months ago, especially after the 2023 Brazilian Grand Prix, where the Dutch driver had refused to help his teammate in the battle for second place in the Drivers' Championship. During the Thursday press conference at Yas Marina, the World Champion explains the technical reasons why his teammate struggled this season.
"Our car hasn’t been easy to drive since the first races of the year. In the beginning, we kept dominating, but after we brought some updates, the car became even more difficult to drive for me and even more so for Checo, with his driving style. When the others close in, every small detail can make a huge difference in results, and when you don’t qualify well and you’re forced to start in the middle of the pack, things can easily go wrong. From my side, it’s very difficult to comment on the reasons why things went the way they did for him, but I can say that especially mid-season, our car was unpredictable. Sometimes it was tricky to drive, while other times it was a bit better, but finding the right direction was difficult, and that didn’t help Checo either".
Despite the difficulties (and previous controversies), Max Verstappen believes that Sergio Perez has been a great teammate during their four years together at Red Bull Racing:
"I have to say that Checo has always been a great team player, and I’ve always enjoyed working with him, even though we’ve had difficult moments. In every race, he’s always tried to get the best result possible, and I can’t say anything negative about him. We get along very well, and it’s not nice for me to see him struggling with results. It’s not nice for the team either, but he’s always done his best. We’ve tried to support him in the best way possible so he could get better results, but it hasn’t always worked out".
Max Verstappen arrives in Abu Dhabi having nothing left to contest in the current World Championship. The drivers' title was mathematically secured in Las Vegas, and with Red Bull Racing now out of contention among the teams, the Yas Marina race risks losing its significance. The World Champion, who still hopes to close the season in style with a tenth victory, once again addresses the penalty he received in Qatar for driving too slowly and unnecessarily during one of the cooling laps in Q3.
"From now on, I’ll always go full throttle in the cool-down lap and pretend I’ve been harmed by anyone! In reality, it was strange, I didn’t even realize what happened at the time. I tried to explain my version to the FIA, trying to be polite. I slowed down because I didn’t want to be in anyone’s way. Everyone slowed down, and I did it too, to avoid hindering someone else’s preparation. But then I saw in the mirrors that someone (the reference is to George Russell, with whom there were verbal clashes during the past weekend) was flying, behaving as if it were the most dangerous situation ever. He almost crashed or something like that, but we were all in a slow lap…".
And he adds:
"When I was called by the stewards, it was surprising. I didn’t impede anyone, and I think that even in the slow lap, everyone takes normal lines because we try to avoid picking up dirt. I don’t know how they came to that conclusion (the penalty of a grid position, almost unprecedented in F1 history), but it was disappointing. I got myself into trouble trying to avoid trouble. I don’t want to argue with anyone, I don’t want anyone to come to me and say: Why did you ruin my lap? But by doing what I did, I put myself in that position, and I had to go to the stewards".
He also shares his thoughts on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will conclude the season:
"Yas Marina is a different track compared to Lusail, but the result in Qatar shows that even when things aren’t going well, there’s always an opportunity to turn things around or make the car more competitive. At the start of the weekend in Qatar, we weren’t fast, but then we found ourselves fighting in qualifying. And this shows that the car had more performance than it seemed. But I’m arriving here calm and relaxed, looking to learn something that might help us next year. It would be positive to win, but it’s not something that will change our lives. We know what we need to work on, and we’ll try to be as competitive as possible".
Final thoughts on the Dutch Grand Prix, which will no longer be on the calendar from 2027:
"It’s news that obviously makes me sad, but on the other hand, I’m also very proud of what they’ve done. When I started racing in Formula 1, I never imagined that we would return to Zandvoort, but the races we’ve had there and all the events they’ve organized deserve a lot of respect. I’m proud to have played a role in all of this, and seeing the fans there was fantastic. I can’t wait to return in the next two years, and then in 2026 there will also be the sprint race. It will be a farewell with a bang, so I’m excited to see what will happen".
Far from a simple argument, a deep rift has developed between George Russell and Max Verstappen. In Qatar, the World Champion accused the Briton of playing both sides after a heated discussion in the stewards' room following the incident in Q3 at Lusail, where the Dutch driver was penalized one grid position. Now, the Mercedes driver responds and gives his version of the argument. A harsh version that, if confirmed, would cast Max Verstappen in a very negative light from a human perspective. Feeling personally attacked by the World Champion, George Russell reveals all the details of their confrontation:
"The facts were clear, and he was going too slowly. He was on the racing line and in the highest-speed corner. I wasn't trying to get him a penalty at all; I was in pole position and just trying to prepare for my lap. As drivers, we fight hard on the track. Just like Max, the next day, he asked for a penalty for Norris. Before I even said a word to the stewards, he was already cursing. He was so angry before I even spoke. I don’t understand why he felt the need to make it a personal attack, and I won’t accept it. I never intended to go after Max until he personally attacked me like that. So now I’m setting things straight, I won’t just stand by and let someone accuse me personally like he did. He told me he’d intentionally crash into me, slamming my damn head into the wall. I thought it was just an impulsive thing, but when I crossed paths with him during the Drivers' Parade, I could see in his eyes that he was serious. And, you know, he's a four-time world champion. If I compare his actions to Hamilton’s, well, Lewis is the kind of world champion I aspire to be. I have an eight-year-old nephew who just started go-karting and watches all my races: a world champion who says he’ll do whatever it takes to crash into someone is not the kind of role model we should have".
Continuing to reveal the backstory of the Qatar incident and exposing Verstappen's verbal aggression, George Russell says that behind his rival lies an inability to lose:
"The moment he doesn’t have the fastest car, like in Budapest, he crashes into Lewis, gets mad at his whole team, and loses his mind. Right after that race, 25% of his engineer team sent resumes to Mercedes, McLaren, and Aston Martin, saying they couldn’t work with someone like him. Since Austria, he’s won the same number of races as six other drivers. So, of course, Max is beatable! When he's in the most dominant car, he isn’t. Just like Lewis and I, when we had the most dominant car at Silverstone and Las Vegas, we were unbeatable".
George Russell is confident that he won’t be intimidated by Max Verstappen's, according to him, domineering attitude. In fact, it seems like he wants to plant doubts in the 2025 World Champion’s mind:
"I’m absolutely not changing my mindset, just like I didn’t in Qatar. I went to the stewards without any issue with Max and came out of their room still without any issue with him. Then he started talking trash, but again, I expected to laugh it off. But in the Drivers' Parade, I saw the fire in his eyes. But as I said before, he's a guy who can’t deal with adversity. I don’t question his driving ability, but he’s had the most dominant car in recent history for two and a half years".
In George Russell’s view, Max Verstappen often has domineering attitudes, unworthy of a world champion who should set a good example ("Lewis Hamilton is the type of world champion I aspire to be"). This leads to an inability to accept defeat, which affects both his rivals and his team:
"Hamilton opposed him in 2021. And Lewis lost that championship unfairly. Can you imagine that incident with the roles reversed, with Max losing the championship like that? Masi would fear for his life. As I said, he’s been punished in some of the recent incidents. And he’s punished himself. Like in Mexico or Budapest. I believe the FIA is quite vigilant on this issue. And I don’t think much should change from their point of view. Because he’ll punish himself, one way or another".
Clearly, Max Verstappen does not accept the words of George Russell, and he responds during a media interaction, rejecting all accusations:
"That’s not true, I never said anything like that. He makes up a lot of things that aren’t true. I can’t stand him attacking me unacceptably with the stewards and then the next day slapping me on the back. So I think: Stay away from me for a while. I’m the same here, at home, and in front of the stewards, I don’t change. They (Mercedes, editor's note) are struggling because so many of their people have joined our engine program, and so their frustration shows".
The jabs are many, and Max didn’t hold back:
"We’re the last ones to laugh because last week we won. They started from pole due to that manipulation in front of the stewards, but 300 meters after the start, they were already behind".
The relationship between Max Verstappen and George Russell remains as tense as ever:
"George is the real bully, he’s a loser. He lies, saying a lot of false things. I just expressed my opinion about his behavior with the stewards. And what he said about 2021 shows how he’s insinuating nonsense".
When the media points out that George Russell seemed close to tears from anger, the Dutch driver doesn’t hide a smile:
"Last week with the stewards, it wasn’t such a dramatic situation. I was relaxed. Maybe next time it will be more dramatic. Then I’ll bring him tissues...".
Finally, Lando Norris also chimed in, explaining his point of view:
"I don’t honestly think Max is trying to intimidate, he’s just saying what he believes is the truth from his perspective. He often speaks the truth about things, and people don’t like hearing the truth nowadays. For me, he’s honest and just expresses his opinion. Mercedes isn’t fighting for a championship, so they’re clinging a little more to what happened. I mean, they’d do anything to get a pole or a win. I think they’ve paid a price in that sense. Everyone does things their own way, some fight more, others less. But it’s amusing to see them argue".
Finally, the British driver shared that he holds no grudge against Max Verstappen for pointing out the yellow flag violation over the radio, which resulted in a harsh penalty for him in Lusail:
"I think every driver on the grid would have done the same thing Max did. He realized I didn’t respect the rules, thought something and said it. For me, that’s fine".
This season, more than ever, fans have come to know Max Verstappen’s more spontaneous side, which has emerged both on team radios and in front of journalists. Irreverent, fiery, and spontaneous, the Dutch driver has often emphasized that he has only one face, whether at home or in public. And so, it’s not surprising to see yet another back-and-forth with the media during a press conference in Abu Dhabi. The topic: reflections on the World Championship won in Las Vegas. Question:
"Can we reflect for a moment on 2024? The season has been a great success, but how do you rank this title compared to the other three?"
Max Verstappen responds:
"We already talked about it in Las Vegas...".
Question: "Well, you've had some time to reflect...".
Max Verstappen: "I still have the same opinion! We had a special press conference, I sat in front of you. I waited, but I wanted to leave. I wanted to go have a beer or something. And now I’m still answering the same question...".
Question: "I don’t think you waited that long, to be honest...".
Max Verstappen: "I wanted something else, I was done. But instead, I had to sit there...".
Question: "Okay, but for those who weren’t in Las Vegas at that press conference?"
Max Verstappen: "They can watch it again".
Not only Max Verstappen and George Russell, but also Christian Horner and Toto Wolff are fueling the controversy in Abu Dhabi. After the dramatic accusations made by the British driver against the World Champion, the Team Principals of Red Bull Racing and Mercedes enter the scene. Christian Horner strikes first, accusing George Russell of being hysterical throughout the week and of trying to penalize the World Champion during the Qatar Grand Prix qualifying session after Verstappen was held up in Q3. Toto Wolff, seeing his driver accused by the colleague, also takes aim at the British driver, even getting personal.
"Russell was pretty hysterical that weekend, and the penalty was based on that. I think they played this situation to their advantage. It was a very strange decision; both Max and George were on their slow laps. I had the impression that George and Mercedes made a drama out of it: I think Max was disappointed with the situation, and if you look at it objectively, you might also think George was driving a bit too fast on a slow lap with two slow cars in front of him. Maybe it was him driving recklessly. It was frustrating to get that penalty. Anyway, Max was already motivated to win this race, and I think this only increased his enthusiasm to start well".
In Abu Dhabi, Toto Wolff responds harshly:
"I’ll make it very clear. If this is about the drivers, I don’t want to be involved in this matter. But if the other Team Principal calls George hysterical, for me, that crosses the line. Now, his strength is certainly not intellectual psychoanalysis. How dare he comment on my driver’s mental state? But thinking about it, I spent 90 seconds thinking about it and responding to that little terrier who’s always barking and has something to say".
Clearly, Christian Horner directly replies to Toto Wolff, saying:
"As we know, Toto is quite dramatic. A lot has been said, and Toto likes to talk. We just want to finish the season well. He called me a terrier? I love them! They’re very loyal. I’d rather be a small dog than a wolf".
Finally, the English manager urges his Austrian colleague to focus on Lewis Hamilton's last race with Mercedes:
"This is Lewis' last race with Mercedes. I think they should focus on that instead of anything else".
With this in mind, Friday, December 6, 2024, sees the start of the FP1 sessions at the Yas Marina circuit. During the first practice session, Charles Leclerc, who missed the first half hour due to technical issues, sets the fastest time. The Monegasque driver leads Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, posting a time 1.7 seconds quicker than the same session in 2023. The Mercedes are competitive on Medium tires but less so with Soft tires. Later, McLaren dominates the second practice session, taking both first and second positions. Lando Norris posts a time very close to last year’s pole position. To everyone’s surprise, Nico Hülkenberg finishes third, having been competitive in the first session as well. The Ferrari drivers clock the fourth and sixth fastest times, but especially struggle with their race simulation. The final Free Practice session of the 2024 season is not particularly exciting for Red Bull Racing, which will officially relinquish its World Constructors' Championship title. The FP2 of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ends with P14 for Sergio Perez and even P17 for Max Verstappen. These positions reflect the current struggles of the RB20 on the Yas Marina track. In Qatar, the mechanics, also using Sergio Perez's car as a sort of laboratory during the Sprint Race, managed to turn things around, allowing Max Verstappen to take pole position and win.
A similar feat will be needed to salvage a weekend that seems to have started off badly for the Milton Keynes team. Max Verstappen admits after the day:
"There’s no good balance, to be honest. We don’t have stability from the mid-corner entry. This issue obviously makes it really hard to push. It’s something we need to work on overnight".
Sergio Perez confirms the issues with the quick lap but highlights the good pace in the long runs.
"It’s been very promising, but we still have work to do to make sure we’re competitive".
At the end of the day, Christian Horner admits that the idea of renewing Sergio Perez's contract early for two years hasn’t delivered the hoped-for results. During the press conference, Red Bull Racing's boss doesn’t dismiss rumors about the Mexican driver's future, confirming that a final evaluation of the team’s driver lineup will take place after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will conclude the season.
"At the time (when the contract was renewed), Sergio was achieving great results. I believe he had four podiums in the first five races, and to reassure him and extend this period of good form for the rest of the season, we decided to act early. But obviously, it hasn’t worked out. Sometimes life is like that. But I believe Checo, beyond this year, has contributed greatly to our team. He’s been a great team player, a wonderful person, and very popular in the garage. He worked very hard over the four years he’s been with us and played a crucial role in the constructors' championships we’ve won. Together with Verstappen, they were our most successful pairing, with first and second in the Drivers’ Championship last year. So I believe no one is more frustrated than Checo by these results, given his high standards. This has obviously been painful for him, for the team, and we’ve worked hard to support him and will continue to do so until the chequered flag on Sunday, where we hope he can get a good result in the last race of the year".
Christian Horner also remains tight-lipped about the news that Yuki Tsunoda will be promoted to Red Bull Racing for the Pirelli test after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:
"The test with Yuki has been planned for some time. I think it’s been scheduled for three months, so it was something widely planned. Checo is our driver, he remains our driver, and he’s under contract with the team. This season hasn’t gone according to anyone’s plans, especially regarding Checo’s performance since Monaco. So inevitably, once this race is over, we’ll sit down and discuss the future. No one likes seeing Perez struggle, so after the World Championship, we’ll have a discussion with him. We’re fortunate to have a huge talent pool, with two strong drivers in Racing Bulls, but until the situation with Sergio is clear, and what he wants to do, everything else is pure speculation".
It’s the final days at Mercedes, and Lewis Hamilton wants to enjoy them to the last second. In Abu Dhabi, the seven-time World Champion delivers an excellent performance, finishing third in FP1 and fifth in FP2. However, the British driver knows well that the W15 cannot be fully trusted. Even if he didn’t know, the results in qualifying and the race would come second: regardless of everything, Lewis Hamilton just wants to close his chapter with the Brackley team with a smile.
"I really enjoyed today, I had fun driving the car today and working with the guys in the garage. We still have work to do, McLaren is still very fast, as is Ferrari. We’re in the mix, but we need to find a bit more time on the lap. I don’t plan on changing the car too much tonight. Overall, my feeling with the car was good today. It’s never easy to establish our long-run pace, but today it didn’t seem bad, and I hope that’s positive for us. Ultimately, we need to work on our qualifying pace, I hope tomorrow we can be closer to those ahead of us. The car was better today. It wasn’t such a negative day. It felt very surreal, and I tried to be as present as possible and enjoy every moment. I tried to capture the most important moments and enjoy them as much as possible before preparing and getting in the car. I want to channel all my emotions into the car and the team because I have so much love for them, and as always, I want to do well for them. This weekend, I have one last chance to give it my all".
McLaren ends the first day of testing in Abu Dhabi with big smiles, aware that the car is strong both on fast laps and race pace. The one-two finish by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in FP2 is a clear and strong signal from the Woking team to the Maranello team, which is facing an even tougher challenge with the ten-position grid penalty given to Charles Leclerc. Lando Norris leads the standings but doesn't feel safe ahead of qualifying. The British driver believes that rivals have run their free practice sessions with low engine mappings, and that only qualifying will provide a clearer picture of the relative strengths.
"It’s been a good day, yes. The car has been fast all day, we’ve continued from where we left off in Qatar. I feel strong, but I think there are still some areas where we can improve, both on low and high fuel loads. The classification looks better than it actually is, because I don’t think the others have turned their engines up yet. It may look like everything is going perfectly now, but I think tomorrow there will still be a tough battle. What can we improve? Nothing major, but with small adjustments we can try to find a better balance between lap time and tire management, especially in the long runs".
For Charles Leclerc, the first day leading up to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix started badly and ended even worse. After the emotional boost of having his younger brother Arthur alongside him in FP1, the Monegasque driver first had to accept the news of a ten-place grid penalty due to a battery pack change. Then, in FP2, he could only manage the sixth-fastest time, over 0.6 seconds off Lando Norris, and didn’t show particularly encouraging pace in the long run. It was a day to forget quickly, not only for sporting reasons but also for health concerns. Perhaps weakened by the scorching temperatures in Abu Dhabi, which presented a humid heat very different from the conditions in Las Vegas and Lusail, Charles Leclerc suffered from food poisoning overnight. For this reason, the Monegasque driver preferred to head straight back to the hotel to recover for FP3 and qualifying.
"I already feel a little better this morning, and I know that after a good night’s sleep I’ll be back on track tomorrow with my batteries recharged. No, I’m not trying to make a pun (he joked referring to the battery pack change on his Ferrari). Let’s hope for a better day tomorrow, and then we can aim for a great recovery on Sunday. The McLarens? Yes, they seem faster unfortunately, but we know how quickly things can change in Formula 1. We need to stay focused knowing it’s not over until the chequered flag. Today we had a problem, and I wouldn’t wish problems on anyone, but we need to focus on ourselves and try to do something exceptional on Sunday. Last race with Carlos? Yes, it's another emotional aspect added to this weekend of ups and downs. Obviously, both of us want to finish with a good result. We watched FP1 together, and we were a bit sad about what happened, especially because we rely on each other’s help to try to win the Constructors’ Championship. Sometimes, though, things happen that are out of your control, and that’s what happened today. But our relationship is great, and we’ll give it our all until the last lap to finish these four years together in the best possible way".
In FP2, Carlos Sainz Jr. showed decent pace, finishing P4, behind the two McLarens and Nico Hulkenberg’s surprising Haas. However, what stood out was the gap between the first McLaren (Lando Norris) and the Ferrari: 0.582 seconds. Carlos Sainz Jr. commented on this gap, calling it excessive but acknowledging, without too many words, that the MCL38 is indeed more competitive and faster on this track than the Ferrari.
"As always, when the track temperature drops, we struggle more with the Soft tires. We’re not really half a second off the McLaren, but we are two to three tenths behind. That’s something we need to recover by tomorrow. We’ve been carrying this deficit into the long runs as well. Surprised by the gap? No, McLaren and Lando in particular have always been fast here in Abu Dhabi. They will always be a tough team to beat, and right now, they seem the strongest".
Carlos Sainz Jr. personally expressed satisfaction with his adaptation to the track, despite having one less session than his teammate to get familiar with the layout.
"I’ve only had one session, but I’m happy with how quickly I found my rhythm. From the second lap, I had the best time. That’s a good sign because it means I have confidence in the car, I know how to approach it and how to drive it. But with the Soft tires, we had issues; we can’t extract all the performance from them".
Ahead of qualifying and the race, however, Frédéric Vasseur remains confident and expects Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. to push until the last corner in an attempt to pull off a big result.
"It’s not the ideal start, but we need to maintain the same approach and focus on ourselves. We’ll see on Sunday evening where we are. Statistically, the Constructors’ title is very difficult, and with the penalty, even more so. But it doesn’t matter, we’ll push until the last corner of the last lap with both cars. We’ll see where the McLarens are, but it would be a mistake to focus too much on them. If we look at Las Vegas and Qatar, it’s always relative to the track temperature. It’s hard to find the right tire window to be ready from the start, which means from one session to another and from one tire set to another, we need to optimize everything. But the most important lap will be the last one of Q3, so we still have some time to prepare. McLaren is doing a good job. When the track changes, you have to adapt to the conditions; it’s all very close to the limit. So far, I think it’s been a good season for us, looking at victories and poles: the fact that we’re still in the hunt for the Constructors’ Championship is a step forward. I’m also happy with the team’s spirit, which is a good omen for the future. Where to improve in 2025? If I had to point to one aspect, it would be the preparation for the lap: today, Charles got stuck in traffic and had to slow down, which is not ideal".
While Ferrari struggles, McLaren seems to come out on top after the first day of testing. Not only were Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri extremely fast on a single lap, delivering significant gaps to all rivals, but the MCL38 also showed a good pace during the long runs at the end of FP2. In the usual FIA press conference, Team Principal Andrea Stella is well aware of what it means to arrive at Yas Marina as the favorites, but still in the middle of a tight title fight. Perhaps that’s why he doesn’t get too carried away, even with the news of Charles Leclerc’s ten-position grid penalty. The fact that the Monegasque driver had to change his battery pack before FP1 doesn't change Andrea Stella’s approach to one of the most critical Grand Prix weekends of his Formula 1 career.
"Less pressure on us after Leclerc’s penalty? No, I wouldn’t say so. I imagine you expected this answer. Not at all. We’re talking about Charles Leclerc, we’re talking about Ferrari, so we’re talking about a very strong driver-car combination. I think even with the penalty, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see them fighting for the top positions quickly. So, for us, it changes nothing. We remain calm, focused, and full of energy. Last night, I had a meeting with the entire team. The message I wanted to convey is that I’m impressed by the maturity I see when I interact with all the team members. It’s been a fast and steep trajectory for us; we’ve had a lot to learn, and being here now feels almost like a change in status. As for the team, in terms of competitiveness and goals to achieve, I see that people have learned very quickly, even from a mental standpoint. This has helped us stay calm in this final race, focused and full of energy".
On Saturday, December 7, 2024, during FP3, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris swapped the top two positions. The Australian driver's time is the fastest of Free Practice 3, even though the track temperature is higher compared to the conditions on Friday. In third place is Lewis Hamilton, followed by Max Verstappen, who, in turn, shows strong competitiveness with the use of the Medium tires. The Ferraris seem to be struggling more, only fast in the middle section of the track. Meanwhile, the official announcement of Jack Doohan’s early debut with Alpine has sparked excitement in the Formula 1 paddock ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Esteban Ocon unexpectedly ended his time with the French team just hours after the opening-lap incident (where he was an innocent victim of Nico Hulkenberg’s mistake) that forced him out of the Lusail race. Without the chance to properly say goodbye to the mechanics and engineers he had worked with for five years, the French driver was also unable to wear the celebratory Alpine helmet he had prepared for the final race of the season. Following his emotional farewell letter posted on social media, Esteban Ocon explained that the decision to end his contract early was made unilaterally by Alpine:
"It’s a bit of a sad ending because, after five years working with the team, I wanted to thank all the people who worked with me at Viry and Enstone. But it was the team's decision. It was important for my future to be able to drive with my next team in the Abu Dhabi tests, and they wouldn’t have allowed me to do that if I had taken part in this final race. So we decided not to race in the final GP to start the next chapter in the best way possible".
There was also an explanation from team principal Oliver Oakes:
"Without being harsh, Ocon’s contribution to the team has been limited recently. He scored few points and was often eliminated in Q1. Moreover, we can’t forget that he will be driving for the team we’re fighting for sixth place in the championship. So it’s better that, in this way, there are no doubts (about a potential conflict of interest). We’re not here to be nice, and I disagree with what I’ve read about how we treated Esteban. In any case, we’re here to race. In the end, he will be driving for another team, and I’m only concerned about Alpine. We have to move on. People don’t know the whole story, so it’s easy to comment from behind a keyboard. Esteban has been an important part of this team, but every chapter has to end to begin a new one. We kept our word, and he’ll be able to test with Haas. We’re acting in the best interest of the team, and for us, it was very important for Jack to drive the car now to prepare for next season. It will also be good for Esteban to start building his relationships with the people he’ll be working with next year".
When the race stewards give the go-ahead for the Qualifying session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the first reference time is set by Lance Stroll, who laps in 1'24"366. Sergio Pérez improves the Canadian driver's time, but his lap is canceled for exceeding track limits. After that, Alex Albon, Yuki Tsunoda, and Max Verstappen take turns at the top of the timesheets, with Verstappen setting a time of 1'23"516. Charles Leclerc moves up to second, while Guanyu Zhou is in fourth, before Carlos Sainz Jr. takes the top spot with a time of 1'23"487. Soon after, Liam Lawson and Valtteri Bottas enter the top ten, along with Kevin Magnussen, who climbs to third, ahead of Lando Norris in fourth.
Oscar Piastri then moves up to fourth place. The Mercedes drivers set the eighth and best ninth times, with George Russell ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Shortly thereafter, Lance Stroll moves up to eighth, just 0.242 seconds behind the fastest time. Many drivers are on track at the same time, and there is a risk of a collision between Sergio Pérez, Valtteri Bottas, and the two Racing Bulls. The race stewards reconsider their decision on Sergio Pérez's time, allowing him to return to third place in the standings. Soon after, Valtteri Bottas takes the top spot. The drivers are very close together; Guanyu Zhou, in thirteenth, is less than 0.4 seconds behind his Sauber teammate Valtteri Bottas. Pierre Gasly then moves up to fourth, before Charles Leclerc improves the benchmark to 1'23"302. The McLaren drivers are slower: Lando Norris is only ninth, before Oscar Piastri moves up to eighth. Lewis Hamilton does not improve his position and remains in P18, penalized by a cone that got stuck under his car after being hit by Kevin Magnussen's car. Besides the seven-time World Champion, the following drivers do not advance to the next phase: Alex Albon, Guanyu Zhou, Franco Colpinto, and Jack Doohan. In Q2, Max Verstappen finishes his first attempt with a time of 1'22"998; George Russell is 0.8 seconds slower, beaten by Nico Hülkenberg. Hülkenberg's time is then improved by Carlos Sainz Jr. and Lando Norris, who moves up to second. Charles Leclerc, after narrowly avoiding an incident, finishes his lap in seventh place. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda moves up to third, before Oscar Piastri, aided by the slipstream of Lando Norris's car, beats him with the best sector time in the first part of the track. Soon after, Nico Hülkenberg moves to second, followed by Pierre Gasly. George Russell sets the sixth-best time. Shortly thereafter, Sergio Pérez (seventh) and Lance Stroll (tenth) enter the top ten.
However, Stroll is eliminated from the final phase by his teammate Fernando Alonso, who moves up to sixth. A little later, Charles Leclerc improves his time with a 1'22"980 lap, but it is canceled for exceeding track limits. Carlos Sainz Jr. is in second. Valtteri Bottas climbs the standings to ninth. Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, Lance Stroll, Charles Leclerc, and Kevin Magnussen are eliminated from the third phase. Nico Hülkenberg is the first to set a lap in Q3, with a time of 1'23"492. Neither George Russell nor Sergio Pérez can beat Hülkenberg's time, but Max Verstappen does, setting a time of 1'22"945, despite a small mistake at the final corner and using used tires. Carlos Sainz Jr. finishes less than 0.4 seconds behind Verstappen. Fernando Alonso is fourth, while Pierre Gasly moves to third. Oscar Piastri comes very close to Verstappen's time, stopping just 0.04 seconds behind. However, race control cancels the Australian's time for exceeding track limits, but a review later reinstates his lap. Lando Norris then sets a time just 0.004 seconds behind Verstappen. Sergio Pérez climbs up the rankings to fourth before losing his position to Valtteri Bottas. Nico Hülkenberg improves to 1'22"886. Pierre Gasly moves to fourth before Oscar Piastri sets a new best time of 1'22"804. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz Jr. improves his time but cannot surpass Oscar Piastri, though Lando Norris does, with a time of 1'22"595. Finally, Max Verstappen cannot improve his time and remains in fifth place. The last pole position of the 2024 season was claimed by Lando Norris, who, together with his teammate Oscar Piastri, gave McLaren the best possible result. The two British cars will start in first and second positions.
"A perfect day for us, although it was harder than we expected. We’re happy with the 1-2. My lap at the end was nice, we wanted to finish like this today. Covering Ferrari in the race? The main goal is to beat them, but we want to do it in style and win. I want to win. We’ll see what we do: we have to keep our heads down and stay focused. Tomorrow we’ll have a great opportunity and will give everything, we always try to win. Of course, in the back of our minds, we’ll also be thinking about how to achieve the main goal. Ending the year with a pole is always nice, thanks to the team".
Behind Carlos Sainz Jr. by a handful of milliseconds, but 0.2 seconds behind teammate Lando Norris, these are the time margins for Oscar Piastri’s second-place finish in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying session. The Australian driver secured a crucial 1-2 finish for McLaren. Piastri was affected, at least mentally, by the cancellation (and late reinstatement) of his first flying lap in Q3. The McLaren driver ran wide at Turn 1, and initially, his time was removed from the classification, but it was later reinstated as footage showed that his MCL38 had not fully gone beyond the track limits. In the final lap, however, Piastri carried this incident in his mind, losing some time by leaving too much margin on the track.
"After my lap was first cancelled and then restored, I gave more space than I should have in Turn 1, so I lost a bit of time, but we’re still in a great position. We just need to keep our heads down and not lose focus. Tomorrow there’s still a lot to do. Securing the front row is a great result for the team. But the work is not finished, although it’s positive to come into the race in a strong position. Today was more complicated than yesterday. It took us a while to find the right rhythm in qualifying, but we got there in the end. I’m very happy with the team’s work: in the last lap, I was missing something, but it’s fine. P2 is still good for the team, and being 1-2 is a dream. We’ll try to hold these positions tomorrow. The cancelled and then reinstated lap? I knew if I went off, it wasn’t by much. I tried to stay focused and still make a good final lap. There was tension, but knowing that lap was reinstated gave me peace of mind. We’ll do everything we can to win the championship tomorrow. We both want to win the race, but I’m sure we’ll mostly focus on the championship victory".
Although Scuderia Ferrari appeared off the pace at the end of FP3, the engineers managed to find a more suitable setup, which allowed the drivers to fight back on performance. However, the 0.2-second gap to Lando Norris’ pole time highlights that the recovery wasn’t enough to challenge McLaren’s supremacy at Yas Marina. Carlos Sainz Jr. focused on this aspect after qualifying, downplaying the impact of a small mistake at the end of his final lap, which may have cost him second place to Oscar Piastri:
"I think it would be a bit much to focus on that oversteer in the last corner. We were all on the limit with the car, and perfect laps don’t exist. Today in qualifying we were closer to McLaren than we expected. We were two tenths behind when all weekend we were four, which means we made a good recovery. But it wasn’t enough. Tomorrow, we’ll work to find those other two tenths and two more positions. We’ll try to win, then we’ll see where we end up in the Constructors’ Championship standings. We made good progress over the weekend. McLaren has shown to be a step ahead in terms of speed. We were two to three tenths behind. In Q1 and Q2 we got closer, and I did some good laps, but in Q3, they put everything together, and it was clear they still had an advantage over us. The race is tomorrow, and we’ll give everything to see if we can win and give ourselves a shot in the Constructors’ Championship. Last race for Ferrari? I’d give everything to win. I wanted pole today, I pushed to the maximum. It could be my last battle for a victory or podium for a long time, but I’m enjoying this weekend. Tomorrow I have nothing to lose, I’ll be on the attack. I haven’t been this excited so far; the stakes are too high: I can fight for a win and for the Constructors’ title. I haven’t had time to realize what’s happening. I want to enjoy it all, driving at my best".
As expected after the chequered flag of the Qatar Grand Prix, an incredible effort was needed, but it was hard to imagine how steep the mountain Ferrari had to climb in Abu Dhabi. Not only is the McLaren team one of the strongest this season, but Charles Leclerc will start from the back of the grid after being eliminated in Q2. To make matters worse, Leclerc also faces a well-known ten-place grid penalty for a battery pack replacement during FP1. Team Principal Frederic Vasseur doesn’t consider the situation demoralizing, although he admits that the fight for the World Championship is even steeper.
"Carlos had a great qualifying, he was fighting for pole position and only missed the front row by a small mistake in the last corner and a very small margin. But it doesn’t matter, we’ll fight anyway, it doesn’t change much whether we start second or third. It’s true that with Charles, the situation is different; we already knew before the session that in the best-case scenario, he would start eleventh, and we saw what happened - he went out just by a few centimeters with the new tire in Q2. Changing the engine for the race? We’ll see, there will be a chance to do it, and we’ll decide tomorrow. But we don’t have a big engine degradation, so I don’t think there will be a significant advantage".
Despite a possible engine change, which could be used to its full power (within the regulations that freeze engine mapping between qualifying and the race), Frédéric Vasseur suggests an aggressive strategy for Leclerc:
"It’s not that just because it’s the final race, we have to take a different approach or do something strange. However, we might consider a slightly different tactic with Charles to avoid getting stuck in the group and to have more opportunities. On paper, before coming to Abu Dhabi, it was already very difficult. After the penalty, it became extremely difficult. Now, with this ranking, we can’t say it’s impossible because we don’t know what will happen. Trust me, we will fight until the last corner of the last lap. Taking a huge risk? Yes and no, because the most important thing will still be to score points, enough to become champions. So, we can’t take excessive risks, and we can’t predict in advance what could happen. So far, McLaren has never had any retirements or incidents, you never know. This means we have to score at least enough points (to close the gap in the standings, editor's note)".
Charles Leclerc will be forced to start from P19, which could become P20 if Ferrari decides to fit a new power unit (likely but not certain, based on Frederic Vasseur’s words). Even with a comeback, however, a race full of incidents and perhaps a double McLaren retirement would be necessary: everything that has gone wrong so far must turn in their favor. Difficult, yes, but Charles Leclerc believes in it.
"I believe in miracles. All of this makes our life very difficult, of course. But with a ten-place grid penalty, it would have been difficult anyway. I see the opportunity to do something really special, and I’ll do my best to make it happen. I’ll believe until the end; anything can happen. In Q2, I made a mistake; I can only blame myself. My goal remains the same, which is to win the Constructors' Championship. I still believe in it like I did yesterday, even though, on paper, it will obviously be much harder. Our race pace has been good, but McLaren seems much stronger. But even so, we’ve changed quite a lot on the car compared to FP3, so I think we’ve gone in the right direction. And at least, our tire degradation is better than theirs. It’s true, there weren’t many positives from FP1, but the car improved, and that gives me confidence".
Andrea Stella can smile at the end of qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, there is still one last effort to make, and the McLaren Team Principal, who can bring the British team to the top of the world for the first time since 1998, knows this very well.
"The race is important for us and Ferrari because we’re fighting for a prestigious result, but at the same time, our approach has always been the same. We’ve tried to stay calm and focused, full of energy, and keep doing what we’ve been doing so far because it works well. We’ve definitely always remembered to have fun. We are privileged to be here, fighting for a world championship, and it would be a shame to waste this privilege by being too nervous. Our trajectory has been very rapid over the past two years. We’ve had to learn a lot, not only on track or from a technical standpoint or at the factory, but also in terms of how to race, starting to win. I’ve seen a team grow very quickly, so I’m very proud. On Thursday, I told the team how impressed and proud I am of the maturity I see, and this is independent of how the race ends tomorrow".
Andrea Stella also recalls what happened in Qatar: even there, McLaren seemed ready to celebrate, but then came the shock penalty given to Lando Norris.
"There, the situation seemed under control, we even thought we could challenge Max for the win, and then within a few laps, we found ourselves at the back. There are so many variables, so we need to stay calm and focused, trying to understand where the next problem will be before it happens. Strategies will definitely depend on tire behavior. There have been variable behaviors during the long-run, so it won’t necessarily be a two-stop or one-stop race. I believe there will be variations. Leclerc? For example, he will have the opportunity to adjust his strategy to try to recover. Ferrari has a fast driver and a fast car, so we don’t take it for granted that he will start from the back".
Max Verstappen will have to settle for P5 in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This result reflects the current strength of Red Bull Racing and actually represents a step forward compared to the difficulties expressed with the front axle after FP2. The Dutch driver, who set his best time with a phenomenal last-corner save, will start between Nico Hülkenberg and Pierre Gasly: tomorrow, he shouldn’t have trouble distancing them, and he’s targeting a third-place finish, which he considers the true goal within his reach for the Grand Prix.
"The front end was better, so it was a somewhat more positive day. But the balance shift we have is limiting on tracks like this. I should have been in the front row or something like that, but it’s not too bad. I know that if we fix our problems, we’ll gain a lot of time per lap. We need to work on that for next year. If we solve this issue, I’m sure we’ll have a good car in 2025. The team did a good job overnight, I think we made the right changes. It’s just that sometimes the track layout is a bit different. We know we’re good in medium-to-high-speed corners, but here there are a lot of medium-low-speed corners, which has always been our weak point. I think we’ve improved in that area, but we still have some things to improve. There’s a good battle next to me for P6 in the Constructors (referring to Gasly and Hülkenberg, editor’s note), let’s see how it goes in the first lap. The podium will be a more realistic goal than the win: I believe fighting with McLaren is quite unlikely, they’ve been very strong all week".
Finally, the World Champion doesn’t want to talk again about his rift with George Russell:
"At dinner, we had a lot of fun. I mean, you can’t talk to everyone, but the corner I was in had a good time. I didn’t talk to him, but honestly, I don’t want to talk about it anymore because it’s no longer necessary. Everything that needed to be said has already been said".
That wasn’t a qualifying session to remember for Mercedes in Abu Dhabi. Lewis Hamilton’s elimination in Q1, which saw him unfairly put out in traffic by his team, understandably upset Toto Wolff, who was very angry with his crew. George Russell, although making it to Q3, didn’t exactly shine. The Brit took P7 on the grid.
"Lewis was very unlucky in qualifying, and I believe he would probably have been ahead of me in Q3. Especially recently, the highs and lows of various teams have been extraordinary. Take us and McLaren, for example: they were far from having a good rhythm in Las Vegas, and here, we were far from having a good rhythm. Then there were a couple of races where Ferrari seemed absolutely dominant; then in Qatar, Max was dominant again. Maybe this is just the reality of Formula 1 right now, and maybe this is Mercedes’ pace in Abu Dhabi. I’ve had pace issues since FP1. In the first few laps of FP1, I was one of the fastest on track, alongside Lando and Lewis. After that, I kept losing pace every single lap. We tried some pretty drastic things with the car. In the last few races, there have been a lot of Sprint races - Qatar, Brazil, U.S. - and then we raced in Las Vegas, which is an exceptional type of track. So, we kind of started this weekend thinking of it as a test for us. But still, I’m a bit puzzled".
A disappointed Lewis Hamilton, speaking after his P18 finish in his final qualifying session in Formula 1 with Mercedes, said:
"I don’t think it was bad luck; we chose the wrong timing for the lap".
Aside from the pinball incident, where Magnussen hit a cone that then hit Hamilton during his flying lap, Hamilton criticized the team for the mistake in timing the exit from the pits, which resulted in him being stuck in traffic for his entire lap. This analysis was also shared by Toto Wolff, who after the end of qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, expressed his anger at what happened.
"What happened is absolutely inexcusable, there’s no excuse! Lewis is with us for his last race, and we decide to be clever and leave the pits last! I’m really angry about this situation; it’s such a shame to say goodbye to Lewis in this way. I can’t explain this; there are no excuses. It’s incredibly unfortunate that these wrong decisions are being made by a world-class team like ours. It’s simple: we wanted to do well this weekend to send off Hamilton properly, and instead, we made a stupid mistake. This is what happens; it wasn’t how we should have acted, not in such an important race. You have to be human, you have to play it safe instead of trying to look super smart".
Sunday, December 8, 2024, at the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lando Norris maintains the lead, while Max Verstappen makes contact with Oscar Piastri’s car: both drivers return to the track after losing several positions. Shortly after, Sergio Pérez, who was hit by Valtteri Bottas, loses control of his car and stops at the side of the track. Due to this incident, the Race Director imposes a Virtual Safety Car period. The race direction also hands out a 10-second penalty to Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas. Via radio, the McLaren driver shows that he was not at all pleased with the hard attack he received on track from Max Verstappen:
"That's definitely a World Champion move".
After hearing that he had been penalized, the World Champion delivers a direct and unmistakable message against the race officials who handed him the sanction.
"Can we ask for a 20-second penalty, you stupid idiots?"
Behind Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz Jr., Pierre Gasly, George Russell, Nico Hülkenberg, and Fernando Alonso follow. Charles Leclerc, who started from P19, is already in P8 by the end of the first lap. Shortly after, Oscar Piastri, who had fallen to last place, rear-ends the Williams Racing car of Franco Colapinto. Both drivers are forced to return to the pits for tire changes and necessary repairs. On lap 7, Charles Leclerc passes Kevin Magnussen, and later, Fernando Alonso. By lap 12, the Monegasque driver moves up to P5 after overtaking Nico Hülkenberg, while Max Verstappen climbs to P7 after passing Fernando Alonso. Two laps later, both the Spanish driver from Aston Martin and Nico Hülkenberg head to the pits for tire changes. After Pierre Gasly’s pit stop, Charles Leclerc moves up to fourth place. The French Alpine driver passes Yuki Tsunoda after a nice battle, moving into P8. Charles Leclerc stops at the pits on lap 21 and re-enters the track in P8. The Scuderia Ferrari driver quickly gains a position thanks to Liam Lawson’s pit stop, then overtakes Pierre Gasly to move up to P6. On lap 26, Carlos Sainz Jr. stops in the pits, followed by Lando Norris and George Russell on lap 27. Thanks to this strategy, Carlos Sainz Jr. gains 2 seconds on Lando Norris. On lap 30, Max Verstappen makes his pit stop and serves the penalty he received at the start of the race, dropping outside the top ten. The standings show Lando Norris in first place, followed by Carlos Sainz Jr., Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Pierre Gasly, and Nico Hülkenberg. Lewis Hamilton, the last to change tires, waits until lap 35 to make his pit stop, rejoining the race in P7. However, the seven-time World Champion quickly moves up the standings, passing Nico Hülkenberg and Pierre Gasly. In the following laps, Max Verstappen also overtakes these two drivers, climbing to sixth place. In the final laps, Lando Norris extends his lead over Carlos Sainz Jr., while Lewis Hamilton also passes George Russell. Lando Norris ends the season with a big smile: the McLaren driver won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, giving his team the World Championship title, the first for the Woking team since 1998. Lando Norris says at the end of the race:
"McLaren Champion? It's an incredible feeling, not just for myself but for the whole team. We've done an amazing job, considering how far we came from where we were at the beginning. I’m very proud of everyone. It’s been a fantastic journey and ending the season this way is perfect. Thanks to all the papaya (McLaren fans), to everyone who supported us this year. Winning after 26 years is really special".
So he adds:
"Party? Zak and I already said we’ll have a blast tonight. We’ll celebrate because it’s a historic moment for the team: we want to celebrate together, it’s going to be a great night. Next year, the goal will be to win the Drivers' World Championship. I made mistakes this year, but I also learned a lot, from Max and from my rivals. I can't wait to try again next year".
Andrea Stella did it: he took McLaren to the top of the Formula 1 world by winning the Constructors' World Championship, which had eluded Woking for 26 years and seemed impossible at the start of this season, let alone at the beginning of 2023, when the Italian engineer's tenure began and McLaren was effectively the last team on the grid after the first Grand Prix. Now, less than two years later, the world has turned around. Andrea Stella comments on this historic success with his usual elegance and class, applauding the rivals he defeated - foremost among them his former team, Scuderia Ferrari - and emphasizing all the work behind this return to the top for one of Formula 1’s historic teams.
"I want to congratulate Ferrari. It came down to just a few points, some details, but Ferrari and McLaren were two teams that operated and raced at a world-class level. Only one came out as the winner, but that’s the hard law of sport. Both teams deserved it, so congratulations to Fred and Ferrari, as well as to the drivers, who once again showed they are of crystal-clear class. I never trusted the fact that Leclerc was starting last, and he proved me right. This isn’t the work of one day; it’s an investment in people. I've been working at McLaren for ten years, and when I became team principal two years ago, I was able to benefit from the investment made in people over the years. This certainly made life easier for me, and over the years at McLaren, we’ve reflected on the importance of mindset, to create a winning mentality and emotional resilience. This sport is a jungle, there are peaks, and you can only survive it if your skin is tough. This requires years of work, and my thoughts are on how many steps forward we've taken, the maturity of this group of people, and the fact that we arrived at this last race keeping our nerves very calm. During the race, we needed that, especially considering what happened at Turn 1. For me, an emblematic moment was the last pit stop, with a whole season on the line, and it was one of our fastest pit stops. One of McLaren's strengths has been that Zak (Brown, the CEO) and I complement each other almost perfectly, not just in terms of responsibilities, which in modern Formula 1, I believe, works really well as a model, but also for our sporting and human qualities. This allows us to get the best out of our combination. Then there’s also great respect and mutual trust, which I think is a real strength".
Behind the winner, the two Ferraris cross the finish line, but a double podium with the Sainz-Leclerc pairing isn’t enough to take the lead from their historic rivals. Even though the final result of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix wasn't favorable for the Maranello team, Carlos Sainz Jr. is still satisfied with the work done. At the end of the race, the Spanish driver gave himself credit for his four years spent at Maranello, bidding farewell to the team with the knowledge that he is leaving a better team than the one he found when he arrived in 2021.
"Obviously, there are mixed feelings: second place was the best we could do, given Lando and McLaren’s pace. I gave it my all, especially in the first stint, it seemed like we could keep up with them. But then, with the hard tires, they had those two tenths of an advantage that we saw all weekend, which kept them out of our reach. Congratulations to McLaren, they were solid for at least two-thirds of the championship. We can be proud of the effort we put in and the season we had. The cool-down lap was emotional: I'm grateful to have been part of this team for four years. I had the opportunity to win races, get podiums, and poles thanks to this team. I’ve shown everyone I can fight for those positions if I have the right car. From next year, I want to focus on Williams and getting us back to where we belong. This last year hasn’t been easy, and especially difficult to race an entire season while maintaining focus after the news of my departure".
And he adds:
"The level of attention to detail that I kept until the end was extremely high, and we saw that when we compare it to the performances of other drivers who raced the whole season knowing they would leave. For this reason, I am proud to have finished on a positive note. I would have liked to win more in my four years at Ferrari, but given the situation, we did a good job. I like leaving the team in a better state than the one I found when I arrived. What we did together with Charles was a great team effort, and I believe the team can win the World Championship next year".
At the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz Jr. also expressed a thought for his former team, McLaren:
"Although they didn’t have a perfect start to the season, from Miami onwards, they had the fastest car on average. We had our tracks where we were very strong and won, but we all know that this year McLaren had the strongest car in most races. Sure, we’re all within the same tenth, but when the car makes a bit of a difference, sooner or later, the best team wins. Even though they lost many opportunities to wrap up the battle earlier, I’m happy and proud of how Ferrari stayed in the fight until the end for this title. Having a chance at the last race, after all we suffered in the middle of the season, says a lot about the World Championship we tried to fight for".
Special mention goes to the fantastic comeback by the Monegasque driver, who climbed from P19 to P3. Charles Leclerc, via radio, summarizes 2024 and looks ahead to 2025:
"It hurts. This really hurts. Thanks to everyone for the efforts made this season. It wasn’t enough, but next year it will be, I’m sure of it. Thanks again for never giving up, not winning the title really hurts. I really wanted to do it to end the time in the team with Sainz on a high note. I wish him all the best. I'm sorry that what we’ve achieved today wasn’t enough".
Scuderia Ferrari secured five wins this season: the first time since 2018. In 2025, Charles Leclerc will have Lewis Hamilton alongside him. However, the Monegasque driver says:
"I knew I had to be very aggressive from the first lap and take all the risks possible to gain as many positions as I could. I managed it, but unfortunately, we started too far back to do better than what we achieved today. It hurts because when a season is so close till the end, it’s hard to accept what happened on Friday when we learned about the penalty. We narrowly missed our goal, we tried everything but it wasn’t enough. 2025? I really hope I can fight for it. At the start of this season, we were nowhere. We certainly weren’t fighting for the Constructors’ World Championship. Then the second part of the season was really good. The team did an incredible job, and Carlos and I also worked really well together. We finished the season strong, and we hope to start just as strong next year. Lewis at Ferrari? He’s had a lot of success, it will be special to race alongside him. But right now, I’m thinking about this year ending with Carlos. We pushed each other, I hoped we could celebrate the Constructors’ title together. We gave it our all, but it wasn’t enough. Now there’s disappointment, but I’ll have four or five days to reset and then think about next year".
Driver of the Day award completes an unforgettable day for Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver started from P19 and managed to climb up to P3, thanks in part to an opening lap that could be showcased in young driver academies: indeed, Leclerc gained eleven positions in the first lap alone. However, this little masterpiece was not enough to bring the World Championship title to Maranello: Lando Norris' victory secured the necessary points for the papaya team to celebrate the final success, twenty-six years after their last one.
"This was an incredible race, but when you do everything you can and it's still not enough, it hurts. It hurts even more because a championship is not won or lost in a single race, there are many stages throughout the season. We struggled in the first part of the season, when we didn’t have the pace to fight with those at the front. The second part, however, was much more positive, and we got closer to our goal and dream. Coming into the last race with the chance to win, despite everything that’s gone against us until today, doing a race like this and finishing second in the Constructors' World Championship really hurts".
The Monegasque driver, however, is aware that he gave his all and is now ready to reset and make a new attempt in 2025, when he will welcome Lewis Hamilton to the team:
"I have no regrets. In this race, we did everything we could and more. Today, we performed a little miracle, but it’s disappointing that it wasn’t enough. We have to aim for both titles in 2025 because I believe this season, in terms of execution and teamwork, was championship-worthy. What we lacked was the first part of the season, where the car's performance wasn’t at the level it needed to be. But the team at the factory did an immense job. From the first race until now, we’ve moved into a different category. We’ve made huge progress, and this makes us very confident for next year. That said, confidence shouldn’t be excessive: there’s still a lot of work to do. We need to keep our feet on the ground because there’s nothing to celebrate. This will motivate us to give everything during this winter break, hoping to start next season at the top. If we do, there will also be a chance to have some fun".
Big applause also goes to Lewis Hamilton, who also made an incredible comeback from the back of the grid. The English driver crosses the finish line in fourth after passing his teammate in the final lap. For the seven-time World Champion, his time with Mercedes comes to an end. From 2025, he will race for Scuderia Ferrari. Toto Wolff, immediately after the race, praises Lewis Hamilton, calling his performance today the work of a World Champion. Applause for the Mercedes driver also comes from Peter Bonnington, who has been Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer all these years, and is the one who coined the nickname The Hammer in reference to the lap times the English driver set during his winning years.
"Thank you, Lewis. There’s nothing else to say: you did an epic job today, it’s been an incredible journey, and I’m extremely grateful to have been part of this chapter in your life. And good luck for the next one".
The most emotional message, however, came from Lewis Hamilton. A heartfelt and moving tribute to the team that the Englishman has called his family for twelve years, a team that helped him become the most successful driver in Formula 1 history:
"The pleasure has been mine. Yes Bono: we dreamed alone, but together we believed. And as a team, we reached this goal. Thank you for all the courage, determination, passion, and for supporting me. What started as an act of faith has turned into a journey for the history books. We did it all together, and I am very grateful to everyone. From the bottom of my heart; all the best. I love you".
Now, Lewis Hamilton can finally look ahead to the future, which will see him competing in the upcoming seasons with Scuderia Ferrari.
"Now I want a break, especially since this will be the shortest break I’ve had in years. With training and preparation for next year, there will be a very steep learning curve since I’ll be in a new environment with a new car, and I really want to give my all, absolutely everything. I’m incredibly excited and can’t wait to meet the whole team. I’ve been very reserved every time in the paddock, I have a lot of respect for my team, and I didn’t want to make them feel uncomfortable, so I avoided going into the red zone, but very soon I’ll start working with them. They did a fantastic job at the end of the season, just like Carlos today, and I really hope I can contribute".
Lewis Hamilton’s last race as a Mercedes driver was spectacular. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix confirmed that, despite coming off three very tough seasons, the seven-time World Champion has still retained all of his talent. At the end of the race, speaking with the media present at Yas Marina, the Mercedes Team Principal, Toto Wolff, was directly asked to pay tribute to the driver with whom he built the most successful pairing in Formula 1 history. Analyzing the race in front of the journalists, the Austrian manager highlighted that, without the problems he had yesterday in qualifying due to a stick that got lodged under the floor of his W15, Lewis Hamilton could have fought Lando Norris for the victory today.
"I try to be analytical, and if that stick hadn’t obstructed us yesterday, I believe Lewis could have fought for the win today, and of course, I’m deeply proud of that. But on the other hand, there’s something he told me: we’ve had so many victories and so much success that these last races don’t change how we feel. And today he drove like a World Champion".
Now, Lewis Hamilton will move to Scuderia Ferrari, and he will become an opponent for Toto Wolff and all of Mercedes. However, the Brackley team boss, via radio, told his now former driver:
"If we don’t win, I hope you do".
Also, speaking with journalists, Toto Wolff clearly expressed his desire to maintain the personal relationship he shares with Lewis Hamilton, even now as rivals:
"We agreed that we will work hard to maintain the relationship. There will be strong competition on the track. But if the individuals want the relationship to continue beyond the competition, it can be done".
During the race, when he made his pit stop, Max Verstappen directed a comment to the race officials, calling them stupid idiots, saying that since they were at it, they could have given him a 20-second penalty. At the end of the race, the Dutch driver - who has 8 points on his superlicense out of the 12 he can accumulate and won’t be able to recover any until next June (so, just four penalty points in the first months of 2025 could lead to a race ban) - states that the race ban could actually turn into an opportunity to avoid missing the birth of his first child:
"Maybe I’ll make sure to get to twelve points on my license by the time the baby is born, so I can take paternity leave".
The impossible mission was not accomplished. Although, for a moment, with that incident between Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri at Turn 1, and the powerful recovery of Charles Leclerc in the early laps, the idea of beating McLaren seemed a bit less like a mirage. Thus, the disappointment on the face of the Monegasque driver on the Abu Dhabi podium is shared by Frédéric Vasseur, the Team Principal of Scuderia Ferrari:
"We’re all disappointed, but we did the best we could. It was a great race from Charles and Carlos, and in the end, we’re not too far from McLaren, with just 14 points behind (in the Constructors' World Championship), but it wasn’t today that we lost the championship. We are, however, satisfied with the work we’ve done and the improvements throughout the season, including how we reacted when we faced problems. The final result, however, is this: we came close to winning, so we’re a bit disappointed. I must congratulate McLaren; I think they’ve done an exceptional job".
He adds:
"We are also on the same trajectory because this year we did better than last year, fighting till the end for the title. I have great respect for them, for the company, for the drivers, and for the team, so I must first congratulate them. We know we didn’t do a perfect job this season and there’s still room for improvement in every single aspect. But I’m also very proud and happy with the progress, especially in the last few months. It’s a good start for 2025. My rating for this season? It’s a 6 or 7... I know I’m being a bit harsh, but there’s room for improvement and we need to stay motivated. I’ve seen the people in the team working together, we had tough moments in Canada, with the updates in Spain, and then the incidents in Singapore and Baku, but every time we came back stronger after the negative episodes, and that’s positive for the future".
At the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Frédéric Vasseur identifies the update brought to the car between the British and Austrian Grands Prix as one of the key moments of the season:
"There we realized that the updates weren’t working well, and we changed everything to try again. Everyone was very open about it; there was no internal struggle, and that’s a good sign. Tomorrow, I’ll say that it was a very positive season, with five wins compared to just one last year, and around 50 more points, but clearly, there’s also frustration that we ended with over 600 points, yet still 14 points behind McLaren, which is a very small margin. Hamilton? Today, of course, I wasn’t focused on him, but he made a great recovery and a nice pass on Russell at the end. But we’ll think about that next year. I’m happy because we’ll have a great group of people working together".
McLaren's Constructors' World Championship victory also brings joy to those who were once part of the Woking team, in two separate periods. Fernando Alonso, who certainly didn’t have much luck during his time with the British team, can now smile at a success that bears the signature of his former race engineer, Andrea Stella. The two lived together through their years at Scuderia Ferrari and beyond, as the Italian engineer joined McLaren in 2015, following Alonso’s move there, and they both lost the 2010 and 2012 titles together. The first, especially, lost at Abu Dhabi with the Maranello team, remains an open wound in the hearts of all Ferrari fans. Today’s success of the English team, however, represents a kind of redemption for Fernando Alonso, at least in the sense that it was Andrea Stella who brought McLaren to the World Championship.
"Congratulations to McLaren and Andrea. I believe he is a man with a lot of common sense and intelligence, and in recent years, he has changed McLaren’s form. The consistency Andrea has in everything he does is what makes the difference. What Abu Dhabi took from us in 2010, Andrea has given back today, and I’m happy for him".
Two wins, the first in Formula 1, and the Constructors' World Championship victory with McLaren: Oscar Piastri's 2024 season is certainly positive for a driver who, on several occasions, even overshadowed Lando Norris. The Australian driver’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was immediately compromised by a contact with Max Verstappen in Turn 1, a collision for which the Dutch driver was penalized with 10 seconds. Oscar Piastri, in turn, received the same penalty for hitting Franco Colapinto in the following lap.
"Neither the contact with Verstappen nor the penalty were good things. With Colapinto, however, I made a mistake and I need to review what happened. I thought I had braked early, but clearly, I was wrong. The most important thing by far is the Constructors' title, it's a huge success for the whole team, and I’m happy for all the members of the team. It’s a huge honor, it’s really fantastic to be part of this new chapter in McLaren’s history. I know I have some areas to work on, but this year has been good. It’s been a good step forward compared to my rookie season, I’m happy with the progress I’ve been able to make. Now I’ll reset everything during the break to come back even stronger in 2025".
Regarding the incident, however, Max Verstappen takes responsibility towards Oscar Piastri:
"My start was good, I tried to take the inside line and then I realized that at the apex, Oscar and I would be very close. I tried to stay on the curb, but unfortunately, we touched wheels and went into a spin, which wasn’t nice. I’ve already apologized to Oscar, he’s one of the last people you’d want to collide with, and it wasn’t a good moment. Then we had a difficult race and struggled with the tires, which were overheating. Unfortunately, we got stuck in that position and couldn’t recover the pace. The season has been long, and today there wasn’t much to fight for. I was looking forward to the break, to unplug, relax, and spend some time with friends and family. We have things to work on for next year, and we already have some good ideas, but we’ll see when we get in the car next year. It’s been a rollercoaster season, and McLaren has been very strong from Miami onwards. I want to thank the team for the season, which has been long but united, and ultimately allowed us to win the Drivers’ World Championship".
The World Championship ended with Max Verstappen’s fourth consecutive world title, once again triumphing with the Red Bull Racing team. However, for the first time since 2021, the Milton Keynes-based team failed to reaffirm their dominance in the Constructors' World Championship, finishing in third place behind Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren Racing. After Lando Norris crossed the finish line, the Woking-based team members received numerous congratulatory messages for their achievement, including those from their direct rivals. Among them was the message from Red Bull Racing Team Principal, Christian Horner:
"I believe 2025 will be a very important year. First of all, we would like to congratulate McLaren for the Constructors’ title. They’ve done a great job this year, and they truly deserve this World Championship. I think this sets the stage for a fantastic 2025 championship with at least four teams fighting for victory every weekend".
The British manager anticipates not only the possibility of an exciting World Championship but also what could be Red Bull Racing’s moves at the expense of Sergio Perez. The Mexican driver, who spun out on the opening lap, concluded a disastrous season, probably his last with the Anglo-Austrian team:
"Checo has been a wonderful driver for us; this year was tough, but he’s been a great team player and a great person. Five wins in total and second place last year, but this season didn’t go as planned for him. We’ll sit down together and reflect on this season, then we’ll see what to do, but it’s been a very tough year for him".
Highlighting how important positive results from both drivers can be, Christian Horner emphasizes the differences between the overall performances of Red Bull Racing and McLaren Racing:
"Clearly, the prestige is in the Drivers’ Championship, but the money comes with the Constructors, so the latter is of huge importance. McLaren has done a great job with two cars, because both Norris and Piastri have performed very well. We won nine races, while McLaren won six. This shows that both cars need to be strong".
In the post-race interviews, for the first time, Sergio Perez expressed doubts about the possibility of not being one of the protagonists next season, despite having strongly reiterated just a few days earlier that he had a solid contract, despite the many rumors circulating in the paddock.
"I can’t say if this was my last race in Formula 1. You know I have a contract for next year, and we are talking with the team to reach an agreement. We need to see what they want to do. We all know this season has been difficult, and we are discussing what the best solution for everyone is. We’ll see what happens in the next few days".
The most persistent rumors point to Liam Lawson as the chosen one to partner with Max Verstappen, but no verdict can be taken for granted.