After a thrilling racing season, Formula 1 has reached its final race, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Four teams and seven drivers tackle the most gruesome of challenges. Some more than others, to become race winners, with two drivers claiming their maiden race wins in 2024.
This season, fans have been spoilt with a vast array of action and with one round left, there is more adrenaline-pumping left, mainly with the Constructors Championship still up for grabs. But not with Red Bull. No. This time, the quest for Championship glory now has two challengers. McLaren and Ferrari.
21 Points Separate McLaren and Ferrari
Before Formula 1 began the penultimate round of the season, McLaren was 24 points ahead of the scarlet red team. Now, that advantage has come down only by three points: 21. The Papaya team came to Qatar in a bid to increase the gap or, more ambitiously, take the crown. But none of those scenarios came to fruition.
After a successful 1-2 finish in the Sprint Race on Saturday, McLaren looked on course to sealing their championship aspirations. However, Qualifying raised alarm bells, as Max Verstappen and George Russell managed to out-qualify the McLaren drivers, lining up third and fourth.
Now, a new challenge for McLaren will commence on Sunday.
30 Points Advantage Diminishes to 21 Points
McLaren found themselves under the watchful eyes of the stewards when Lando Norris, on Lap 30, disobeyed the double yellow flag. The reason was that Alex Albon‘s right-side mirror broke off his Williams and left him in the middle of the track in Turn 1.
The Brit ignored the double yellow flags and continued to speed past the debris. The KICK Sauber driver of Valtteri Bottas, who did hit the debris, shattered the side mirror to pieces, deploying the safety car.
Race leader Max Verstappen raised the incident, adamant that Norris did not lift. Eventually, Lando was hit with a 10-Second Stop/Go Penalty for failing to slow down under the double yellow flags.
Norris served his penalty, putting the Papaya driver stone dead last. Now, it was all about damage limitations. With his team-mate Oscar Piastri staying in third, what can Norris do when he’s on the back foot?
Lap 45, Norris pits to serve his penalty and lurks behind the pack, 17 seconds from the next car. But this did not stop the young Brit from catching the pack, finishing back in the points. 10th Place with the fastest, including Piastri finishing second, scored the team 17 points. At the same time, Ferrari managed to score 26 points. Closing the gap down to 21 points.
102 Points Left in Total
With 21 points separating our newly crowned champions, whether McLaren or Ferrari, there are still 102 points available from first to tenth, including the fastest lap at the Yas Marina Circuit. As we know, it won’t be McLaren and Ferrari squabbling for the most points available, but the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes will also be in the mix.
From Formula 1’s previous endeavours in Abu Dhabi, it seems that Ferrari has outperformed the McLaren team by 10-5. So, the final questions remain: Will Ferrari continue to outperform the Papaya team? Or will McLaren claw another onto their tally against Ferrari and for the Formula 1 2024 Constructors Championship?
If you would like to learn more news about the world of Formula 1? Then why not check out “Qatar Grand Prix: The Desert Challenge in Doha” or “53 Points Behind! Is Red Bull Out of the Championship?”
