The longest season in Formula 1 history ends this weekend at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi with several intriguing matchups expected.
While Max Verstappen has already secured a fourth world championship, there is still plenty at stake at the 24th and final stop of the 2024 campaign.
McLaren and Ferrari in fierce battle for P1
With Red Bull no longer a contender for the constructors’ championship, the fight for the top spot is between McLaren and Ferrari, with the former entering Abu Dhabi with a 21-point lead.
The way Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc put it, Ferrari must have a perfect weekend, while McLaren must have a not-so-perfect one in order for the Scuderia to win.
For Sainz, helping Ferrari secure their first constructors’ title since 2008 would be a special parting gift as the Spaniard moves to Williams next season.
“It would mean everything to me, honestly,” Sainz said on Thursday.
“It’s, I think, the best way to say goodbye to my home these last four years and to the team that I’ve given my absolute best to for the last four years; and I’ve enjoyed every single moment with them.
“And to say goodbye with a constructors’ title, I think, would be the perfect sign off, the perfect goodbye. I am also honest with you saying that it’s still not a long shot, but it is a difficult one.”
He added: “Being 21 points behind two of the fastest drivers and one of the fastest teams and recovering those 21 points in one weekend requires perfection from our side, and probably a not-optimal weekend or a bad weekend from their side.
“It’s still going to be difficult, but I’ve seen worse things in racing happen before, and we’re going to give it our best shot.”
McLaren’s Piastri is confident but is aware there will be multiple battles unfolding on the track that could affect his team’s chances.
“We’re still in a good spot in terms of the lead we have. I think it’s going to be a very tightly fought weekend between probably the top four teams, not just us and Ferrari, which means that some of the other teams can potentially play a role in deciding the championship. So let’s see,” said the Australian.
Leclerc and Norris vie for runner-up spot
In the drivers’ championship, Lando Norris is leading Leclerc by eight points.
Norris will be looking to rebound from a disappointing 10-second stop/go penalty that dashed his podium chances in Qatar, where he finished in 10th place.
Meanwhile, Leclerc noted that Ferrari have not done well at Yas Marina Circuit in recent years.
“We need to do first and second this weekend and we need things to not go exactly the way they want in McLaren,” said Leclerc. “Because on paper they will be strong on this track as well. It’s also true that we’ve never won here in Abu Dhabi, so there’s quite a lot of work. It’s not impossible.
“I think we’ve had the right approach in the last few races and we’ve taken some points even on weekends where we did not expect to do so.
“On this weekend, we are a bit more neutral and we think it’s going to be a positive weekend for us. I really hope that is the case.”
Alpine in three-way fight for P6
Given they were hovering between eighth and ninth at the summer break, it is quite remarkable what Alpine have managed to achieve in the last three months.
The Enstone outfit arrive in Abu Dhabi in sixth position but have to fight off Haas and RB to keep that position by season end.
A fifth-place finish for Pierre Gasly in Qatar gave Alpine a five-point edge over Haas, with RB a further eight points behind.
Gasly will have a new teammate in Abu Dhabi, with Jack Doohan starting his Formula 1 career earlier than expected, replacing Esteban Ocon for the final race of the season instead of waiting until 2025.
“I would say personally it doesn’t change anything,” said Gasly of having a rookie teammate for a crucial race.
“I know exactly what my target is this weekend. I know what I got to do on track. I think it’s going to be intense until the line because Haas has proved at times to be able to put both cars up there.
“Even though we have a small cushion after last week’s result, it’s still going to be tight and we’ve got to get it done. I’m confident. I’m confident we’re going to be there in the battle with them.
“But there’s still a few more racing laps that we’ve got to make sure we optimize and really get together.”
Doohan ‘ready’ for F1 debut
Doohan was already scheduled to drive the Alpine car in Free Practice 1 but now gets a full drive and is excited to experience several firsts this weekend.
“It’s a great opportunity just to run through the motions and go over everything,” said the 21-year-old Aussie, who has been reading up on all the regulations these past few days.
“To simply put it, like the driver parade that I’ve never done, laps of the grid that I’ve never done from junior categories. So these little things that are new territory, now I just get to familiarize myself before next year.
“I’m feeling comfortable and feeling ready for the weekend ahead.”
War of words escalates between Russell and Verstappen
The feud between Verstappen and George Russell has carried over from Qatar, where the world champion accused Russell of fighting to get him penalized during a meeting with the stewards.
Verstappen was handed a one-grid penalty for driving too slow in qualifying, and the Dutchman later slammed Russell, calling him two-faced, and saying he lost all respect for him.
The Red Bull driver doubled down on his comments on Thursday in Abu Dhabi, saying he has “no regrets” and in fact wishes he had said more.
That pushed Russell to hit back at Verstappen as the Mercedes man spoke to the press, in the presence of team principal Toto Wolff, to “set the record straight.”
“As drivers, you fight hard on the track, you fight hard in the stewards; the same way as Max the very next day asked his team to look at Lando’s penalty through the yellow flag,” Russell explained.
“That’s not personal Max to Lando, that’s just racing. And I do not see why he felt the need for this personal attack, and I’m not going to take it.
“I’m not going to stand here watching some guy slam me personally as he has done.”
Russell claimed that Verstappen threatened to purposely crash into him.
The Brit added: “I think we’ve got a duty as drivers, I’ve got an 8-year-old nephew who’s just starting go-karting, he watches all of my races, watches TikTok, watches YouTube, and for a world champion to be coming out saying he’s going to go out of his way to crash into someone, put them on their (expletive) head, that is not the sort of role models we should be.
“He’s a four-time world champion, but when I compare his actions to the ones of Lewis (Hamilton) — Lewis is the sort of world champion I aspire to be like.”
Hamilton bids Mercedes farewell
Meanwhile, Russell’s teammate, Hamilton, is ending a history-making 12-year chapter with Mercedes as he prepares to race his 246th and final Grand Prix with the Silver Arrows.
Hamilton admitted it has been a “painful” and “emotional” time since he announced his move to Ferrari next year, and he “massively underestimated” how difficult it would be.
“It’s been a very emotional year for me. And I think I’ve not been at my best in handling and dealing with those emotions,” he confessed on Thursday.
“You’ve all seen the worst of me and seen the best of me and I’m not going to apologize for either because I’m only human and I don’t always get it right.
“And I would definitely say this year’s been one of the worst in terms of handling that from my side, which I’ll work on trying to be better at.”
Quick hits
— In practice on Friday, Leclerc and his younger brother Arthur will make history as the first siblings to take part in a Formula 1 session as teammates.
— There is uncertainty about the future of some drivers including Sergio Perez and Franco Colapinto. Despite rumors he is being replaced next year, Perez renewed his contract with Red Bull earlier this year — until the end of 2026 — and is hopeful it will stick.
The new terms of his agreement could possibly include performance clauses. Meanwhile, Williams rookie Colapinto is highly-rated but without a confirmed seat for next year.
“I am trying to stay away (from speculation). I try to enjoy the moment. At the moment it’s my last race, so I’m trying to give the best I can for the team,” said the young Argentine.
— The F1 Academy is also in Abu Dhabi this weekend and Emirati sisters Hamda and Amna Al-Qubaisi will be racing for the last time in the female-only series. They have hit the two-season limit and get to enjoy a swansong on home soil.
— The battle for the Formula 2 Championship could not be any tighter with leader Gabriel Bortoleto and contender Isack Hadjar separated by just half a point.
