MCLAREN TAKES THE 2024 F1 CONSTRUCTORS' TITLE AT ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX

A P1 and P10 finish for Norris and Piastri was enough to seal their first constructors' title since 1998, edging out the Ferraris of Sainz and Leclerc in second and third

ABU DHABI, UAE, Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- McLaren triumphed in the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit, ending the papaya team's 26-year wait for an F1 constructors' championship at the 2024 season finale.

Lando Norris and his team-mate Oscar Piastri led from the front row into Turn 1, until a collision with Max Verstappen saw Piastri drop 17 spots and the four-time world champion awarded a 10-second penalty after the first lap. Despite starting in P14, Charles Leclerc jumped 11 places in the melee and the Monegasque continued his steady progress through the pack to finish P3.

It wasn't enough, though. Despite a sterling final appearance for Ferrari, Carlos Sainz' P2 finish and Leclerc's superb drive gaining him the third podium spot, it was always an uphill task for the Scuderia to bridge the 21-point deficit.

Lewis Hamilton celebrated his Silver Arrows swansong and P4 finish with some post-race doughnuts, while team-mate George Russell finished his race in P5. Verstappen was sixth, followed by Pierre Gasly, Nico Hulkenberg, and Fernando Alonso, with Piastri rounding out the top 10.

The chequered flag brings the curtain down on the longest F1 season in history, and four days of world-class entertainment on Yas Island that drew record crowds across Yas Marina Circuit for the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and Etihad Park for the FAB After-Race Concerts. The incredible line-up of the weekend's entertainment, Yasalam presented by e&, included concerts by Teddy Swims and South Korean DJ icon Peggy Gou, Maroon 5, 15-time Grammy Award-winner Eminem, and two-time Grammy-winning band Muse, as well as Official After-Parties including Afterlife Abu Dhabi, Mahmut Orhan, and Lost Frequencies.

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