Lando Norris wins in Abu Dhabi and McLaren are F1 champions
McLaren had not won the team championship since 1998
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Lando Norris won a dramatic Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to win the first constructors’ championship McLaren since 1998.
Norris controlled the race from pole position to secure the victory that McLaren needed, but the drama behind it broke out the fight with Ferrari openly.
Ferrari kept the British team sweating until the end, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finishing second and third, but Norris was impeccable at the front.
“Woooohooooohoo! Congratulations everyone,” Norris celebrated on the radio after the race. “Incredible. Congratulations to everyone, I am very proud of everyone. Thank you very much, it has been a special year.”
Lando Norris then he said goodbye saying: “Next year will also be my year.” The result meant that McLaren won the championship by 13 points.
The championship culminates a revolutionary season for McLarenwith six wins after just one in the previous 12 years.
Behind the first three, Lewis Hamilton caught and passed to his teammate George Russell with a magnificent overtake on the last lap of his historic race in mercedes to finish fourth.
Hamilton will replace Sainz in Ferrari next season.
“Forza Ferrari,” Sainz said on the radio after the race. “It has been a pleasure.”
McLaren was a heavy favorite for the constructors’ championship after taking the front row on Saturday night.
That comfortable position was shattered on lap 1 when Max Verstappen crashed into Norris’ teammate, Oscar Piastriin turn 1, causing both to spin.
“Yes, that was the movement of a world champion,” Piastri said ironically on the radio. Verstappen won his fourth drivers’ championship in the Las Vegas Grand Prix last month.
That incident, and a 10-second penalty for a clumsy collision with Franco Colapinto On the next lap, they knocked Piastri down the order.
To the nervous situation of McLaren It was added that Leclerc gained 11 positions at the start.
His promotion was helped by the Piastri and Verstappen incident and a collision between Sergio Perez of Red Bull and Valtteri Bottas.
That incident led to Czech Perez to retire from the race on the next lap, which could be the final act of his career in Red Bull; sources told AM850 that the Mexican driver will not race for the team in 2025.
After the pit stops, Sainz and Leclerc were second and third, but Norris had the pace to regain his lead once again after pitting a lap later than his former teammate.
Piastri rose again to tenth place, one more point behind Norris’ 25, but McLaren he would have lost the title if Norris had later given up the lead due to some unexpected car problem.
The threat of drama persisted until the end: it was on the same circuit in 2021 when a late Safety Car opened the confrontation between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Lando Norris was impeccable and achieved the fourth victory of his season and of his career in the F1.
