McLaren lock out entrance of grid at season-ending race to strengthened grip on the constructors’ championship
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Lando Norris claimed an eighth pole place of the season on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton suffered an early elimination in his last qualifying as a Mercedes driver.
Norris led a McLaren one-two, with team-mate Oscar Piastri becoming a member of him on the entrance row because the staff strengthened their grip on the constructors’ championship.
The British staff are battling Ferrari to say the constructors’ crown this weekend, holding a 21-point lead over the Scuderia.
Norris mentioned: “We wish to do it in fashion and we wish to win, I wish to win.
“We all know what we’ve to do. We’re staying centered however we’re right here to win each race doable and tomorrow we may have a superb probability.
“We can be giving it every thing we’ve obtained.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has endured a difficult weekend to spice up McLaren’s probabilities and can begin Sunday’s race in the back of the sector.
The Monegasque, who’s eight factors adrift of Norris within the battle to complete second within the drivers’ standings, had his greatest lap in Q2 deleted for monitor limits – qualifying solely 14th but additionally dealing with a 10-place grid penalty for altering his battery pack on Friday.
His Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz will lead their combat from third on the grid forward of Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg, who produced a surprising lap to complete fourth.
Champion Max Verstappen, who had claimed pole and victory on the earlier 4 races in Abu Dhabi, will begin from fifth forward of Pierre Gasly and George Russell.
Sergio Perez, whose Purple Bull future stays in critical doubt, may qualify solely tenth.
Hamilton’s last act of a glittering 12-year keep at Mercedes started with a dismal Q1 elimination after the seven-time world champion was undone by a stray bollard on his last run.
Haas’ Kevin Magnussen ran over the bollard, knocking it into Hamilton’s path and it obtained caught underneath the Mercedes as Hamilton certified solely 18th.
Hamilton, who will be part of Ferrari subsequent season after 12 years with the Silver Arrows, has struggled this time period and is about to complete seventh within the drivers’ standings – the bottom place throughout his profession.
The 2024 F1 season concludes this weekend with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on the Yas Marina Circuit.
McLaren lead Ferrari by 21 factors within the battle to be constructors’ champions after Lando Norris’ shock penalty in Qatar meant the Scuderia narrowed the deficit within the standings. McLaren want to win the constructors’ title for the primary time since 1998, whereas Ferrari haven’t received the groups’ crown since 2008.
This weekend can even be Lewis Hamilton’s 246th and closing grand prix for Mercedes. The seven-time world champion, who received six of his titles with the Silver Arrows, joins Ferrari in 2025 and shall be trying to finish his time with Mercedes on a excessive after a torrid weekend in Qatar.
Max Verstappen received final yr’s race in Abu Dhabi and has received the final 4 grands prix on the Yas Marina Circuit, together with the controversial finale to the 2021 season.
Comply with reside updates from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:
Kieran Jackson7 December 2024 11:40
The Pink Bull Workforce Principal hit out on the Mercedes driver for being “hysterical” on the Qatar Grand Prix, with Verstappen hit with a one-place demotion on the grid for blocking the Briton throughout qualifying.
And Wolff was left incensed by the comment and criticism of his driver, hitting again on a fiery Thursday at Yas Marina Circuit to label his colleague “a yapping little terrier”.
However Horner has laughed off the remark and claimed he would somewhat be a terrier than a wolf.
Kieran Jackson7 December 2024 13:40
Kieran Jackson7 December 2024 13:33
The bemusement reverberated throughout the paddock. It’s troublesome to not overemphasise the brutal response the cut-throat Formulation One circus – whether or not it’s media, ex-drivers or followers – had in September 2012 when, to the astonishment of everybody, Lewis Hamilton determined to go away McLaren for Mercedes.
Even the needs of his father and supervisor, Anthony, have been ignored. As Jeremy Clarkson put it so tactlessly on a 2012 episode of High Gear: “Is that not a bit like shifting from Manchester United to West Ham?” And sorry Hammers followers – it was not a praise.
But six world championships, 12 years and 84 grand prix victories later, Hamilton’s daring plunge into unchartered waters was his best-ever choice.
Kieran Jackson7 December 2024 13:16
1. Max Verstappen – 429 factors (champion)
2. Lando Norris – 349 factors
3. Charles Leclerc – 341 factors
4. Oscar Piastri – 291 factors
5. Carlos Sainz – 272 factors
6. George Russell – 235 factors
7. Lewis Hamilton – 211 factors
8. Sergio Perez – 152 factors
9. Fernando Alonso – 68 factors
10. Nico Hulkenberg – 37 factors
11. Pierre Gasly – 36 factors
12. Yuki Tsunoda – 30 factors
13. Lance Stroll – 24 factors
14. Esteban Ocon – 23 factors
15. Kevin Magnussen – 16 factors
16. Alex Albon – 12 factors
17. Daniel Ricciardo – 12 factors
18. Ollie Bearman – 7 factors
19. Franco Colapinto – 5 factors
20. Zhou Guanyu – 4 factors
21. Liam Lawson – 4 factors
22. Valtteri Bottas – 0 factors
23. Logan Sargeant – 0 factors
Kieran Jackson7 December 2024 13:01
F1 has signed a brand new five-year take care of the Chinese language Grand Prix, with the race staying on the calendar till 2030.
The Shanghai Worldwide Circuit solely returned to the schedule this yr after a five-year absence as a result of Covid pandemic.
It was additionally the primary yr the race had a house driver, with Zhou Guanyu showing in entrance of 200,000 followers. Nevertheless, the Sauber driver received’t be collaborating subsequent yr after he was dropped for 2025.
Nonetheless, the race – which first appeared in 2004 – has signed an extension, with the game’s fanbase in China climbing to over 150 million folks.
Kieran Jackson7 December 2024 12:44
Sergio Perez seems to be set to be on the best way out from Formulation One and Pink Bull after a torrid 2024 marketing campaign.
Varied experiences after Sunday’s race in Qatar state that Pink Bull are set to maneuver on from the 34-year-old after the season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend, regardless of a contract which lasts till the top of the 2025 F1 season.
However who’s the main candidate to switch Perez at Pink Bull? Will Christian Horner look inside the staff’s wider ecosystem or additional afield on the grid?
The Unbiased takes a have a look at the candidates to switch Perez at Pink Bull:
Kieran Jackson7 December 2024 12:30
“If you happen to take as we speak, undoubtedly Charles, he’ll be on an identical stage to George, the following stage, and Lewis is simply struggling in the intervening time and we do not know why.
“Right this moment, Charles will beat him like George, however Lewis is the best of all time and might get again to his greatest and ought to be barely forward of Charles by the top of the yr.”
Kieran Jackson7 December 2024 12:22
“Max is a really straight-shooter. He tells the reality precisely what he feels,” Horner mentioned on the staff principals’ press convention.
“I imagine 100 per cent what he mentioned to be correct.
“Lots has been product of it yesterday, it’s pantomime season, we’re preparing for Christmas so perhaps there is a component of end-of-term blues there.
“I don’t suppose it’s going to have any impact on the grand prix itself.”
Kieran Jackson7 December 2024 12:15
Verstappen, 27, and girlfriend Piquet, 35, have introduced that they’re anticipating their first baby collectively!
They captioned a joint publish on Instagram: “Mini Verstappen-Piquet on the best way.
“We couldn’t be happier with our little miracle.”
Kieran Jackson7 December 2024 12:08
