There can be no second possibilities this time. Lando Norris has been liable to in-race lapses of judgement and focus in 2024 however right here, with a 26-year hoodoo solely in his fingers, the Bristolian gave his beloved McLaren a long-awaited F1 constructors’ championship on the season-finale.

Norris, pole-sitter and the quickest man all weekend, saved it clear and prevented bother – the place his teammate Oscar Piastri didn’t – to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and seal the groups’ title for the papaya. Ferrari did their greatest, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc each on the rostrum, however finally a 14-point benefit was sufficient.

The final time McLaren sealed the constructors’ championship, Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard have been the drivers within the 1998 MP4/13 cockpit. Each have been current right here in Abu Dhabi as considered one of F1’s largest groups ended their lengthy wait within the MCL38.

As for Lewis Hamilton, in his 246^th and ultimate race for Mercedes, a trademark cost by means of the sector. Beginning in 16^th, the seven-time world champion ended the biggest driver-team partnership in F1 historical past with a fourth-place end, passing George Russell on the final lap.

He parked his automotive on the house straight on the finish, waved to the gang and stated his goodbyes. Ferrari, and all of the glamour that goes with it, awaits Hamilton as he heads into his 40s.

Russell completed fourth and Max Verstappen in sixth, as he dropped again after a penalty for clattering into Piastri’s rear-left wheel a matter of seconds into the race.

Piastri recovered for 10^th, however regardless of. His teammate had secured the crowning second.

“It feels unbelievable, not for myself however for the entire staff,” he stated. “It’s been a protracted journey and to finish the season like that is excellent.

“To win a constructors’ Lando Norris holds his nerve to information McLaren to F1 glory in Abu Dhabi after 26-year wait after 26 years is fairly particular. Zak has already stated we’re going to get fairly hammered tonight!”

It resulted in best style after a begin which was removed from it. The Yas Marina Circuit, with its brief dwelling straight, shouldn’t be liable to drama at flip one on lights out. However this yr, as McLaren merely wanted a clear get-away for each their drivers, a Verstappen-shaped curveball threw open the race for the title.

The Dutchman surged down the within and clipped Piastri, who spun and dropped all the way down to final. Thankfully, his McLaren was not irrevocably broken however the normally mild-mannered Australian sharply gave his verdict over staff radio.

“Yep, transfer of a world champion that one.”

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Verstappen was duly given a 10-second time penalty, although Piastri himself obtained the identical judgement from the stewards after crashing with the rear of Franco Colapinto, giving the Williams a puncture.

Mercifully for Zak Brown’s staff, and their followers watching again on the McLaren know-how centre in Woking, Norris was unimpacted by the first-lap shenanigans and led, comfortably, by means of the primary section of the 58-lap race.

The Brit pitted on lap 26. Would the mechanics maintain their nerve? You guess they’d. A two-second pit-stop meant Norris rejoined the race nonetheless in P1 and, with the quickest racepace on the monitor, the Brit simply needed to maintain it error-free handy McLaren their prized silverware.

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No ignoring yellow flags like final week in Qatar. No flirting with the wall like in Singapore. Norris was assured, composed and by a margin of eight seconds took the chequered flag for his fifth win in Method 1.

Cue jubilation from the orange-clad personnel on the pit-wall. For a staff in no man’s land at first of the season, it has been an outstanding turnaround from staff principal Andrea Stella – previously of Ferrari – and his engineers.

Norris’ objective now, with a way of longing about what might need been this yr, will probably be a person title pursuit extra full and cool-headed than final yr’s topsy-turvy marketing campaign. He even referenced it on the staff radio straight after the race.

“So happy with you all, you deserve this, thanks a lot,” he stated.

“That is our yr. Subsequent yr goes to be mine too.”