Everything we learned after the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in what was a pulsating event.
The season finale capped a stunning year in Formula 1. Motorsport at this elite level saw more competition than at any other point across the past decade. Verstappen won the title as many expected, but it was nowhere near as dominant as people feared. McLaren won the constructors championships following Norris’ victory in Abu Dhabi with Ferrari just coming up short when it mattered. Ahead of this three month hiatus, what did we learn as F1 2024 bows out.
Lando Norris said on team radio that next year would be his year. An ominous omen from the young Brit who confirmed his position as P2 and the nearest challenger officially to Max Verstappen. With his Papaya team receiving the highest prize money, there’s every chance a sustained title challenge could be launched next year. The same, in fairness, should therefore be said of teammate Oscar Piastri who had an excellent year and more than played his part in McLaren’s success.
Carlos Sainz’ said goodbye to Ferrari and with that, probably any claim to future race wins. With Williams, he will surely fight for points but in terms of the front of the grid, his battle is surely over. The Spaniard enjoyed a good spell with Ferrari over his tenure, and even competed with Charles Leclerc for a large period. However, the Italian outfit saw a different path going forward which meant Sainz had to look elsewhere. It was fun, Smooth Operator.
Valtteri Bottas enjoyed an amazing Saturday, getting into Q3 for the first time this season. However, any hopes of points were shattered when he went into another departing driver in Kevin Magnussen and was forcibly retired. If this is to be the end for the Finn, after all he has been reiterating his “what’s next?” stance, then it’s a sad end for the multiple time race winner. If rumours are to be believed, there evey chance a 2026 return is on the cards. However, the same surely cannot be said for Zhou or the aforementioned Magnussen who saw the curtains close on their respective F1 careers, for now at least. Don’t forget, this has already happened to K-Mag once before. In terms of Zhou, he has age on his side and didn’t disgrace himself this year in what is admittedly a poor car, peaking with points in Qatar. It would also be incredibly surprising if this is the last time we saw Franco Colapinto in an F1 car, after a strong showing in the latter stages of this season.
A shout out must go to Pierre Gasly who enjoyed a year without any damage at all, a first in full time Formula 1. He is the main reason Alpine finished ahead for Haas in the Constructors championship standings and pocketed at extra $15 million. Speaking of Haas, many critics had them as the slowest car and Komatsu has lead a mini revolution. Hulkenberg in P11, only a solitary point off the top 10, is a remarkable achievement. The second highest points tally for the team in their history is not what many expected. And Fernando Alonso carried Aston Martin on his back. A poor car now gets Adrian Newey which will surely see an upward movement in terms of both car performance and championship standings moving forward.
Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes era finally came to an end too. Slight redemption and also rather poetic that the British sevw time world champion made a last lap pass on teammate George Russell at this venue in particular, to edge the accumulative points battle over the last few years. A spell that saw 6 World Championships and over 150 podiums is no doubt one of the all time dream partnerships the sport has ever seen. Anticipation can now fully build for the imminent Ferrari move that no awaits.
Sergio Perez continued to struggle. Another DNF to cap a truly miserable year for the Mexican. He is still set to race for Red Bull again next year, but the pressure is nearly at boiling point. However, the sister Red Bull may not have been so dominant as the previous two years, but Verstappen was yet again a worthy title winner. He is truly proving to be one of the all-time greats, whatever your personal feelings are about the Dutchman, that much is undeniable. His talent and accuracy are to be admired. We should enjoy his talent whilst we have it in Formula 1, because it won’t last forever. Can he make it five in a row in 2025? It’s going to be tough. What is for sure is that it’s going to be must see!
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