Max Verstappen might have already locked up the championship, but the Abu Dhabi season finale still packed plenty of drama. McLaren and Ferrari went head-to-head for second place in the constructors’ standings, with Ferrari needing to make up 21 points to pull off an upset.
In the end, Lando Norris delivered a masterclass that sealed the deal for McLaren.
The victory didn’t come easy. Oscar Piastri tangled with Verstappen on the very first lap, sending the young Australian to the back of the pack. But Norris stepped up big time, grabbing the lead early and never looking back.
"Perfect" is how BBC Sport described Norris and his team’s performance, as champagne flowed freely under the Yas Marina lights after F1’s longest-ever season.
It’s been quite a journey for McLaren. The team hadn’t finished this high in the standings for 26 years, and they were nearly broke just a few years ago. Two people get most of the credit for the turnaround: CEO Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella.
Brown joined in 2016 and managed to secure crucial funding when the team was "definitely on the brink" in 2020. His decision to promote Stella to team principal raised some eyebrows in the paddock, but it’s proved to be a masterstroke.
The scenes in the McLaren garage were electric. Team members in their signature papaya orange jumped and celebrated – their biggest moment since Lewis Hamilton won them the drivers’ title back in 2008.
Speaking of Hamilton, the Abu Dhabi GP marked his final race with Mercedes after an incredible 11-year partnership that brought six world championships. He made it count too.
Starting way back in 16th after a bizarre qualifying incident with a bollard, Hamilton fought his way through the field. In the closing laps, he hunted down teammate George Russell for fourth place.
"Keep it super clean with Lewis," team boss Toto Wolff radioed to Russell as Hamilton closed in. Russell didn’t put up much of a fight on the final lap, even applauding his departing teammate after they crossed the line.
It was a fitting end to Hamilton’s Mercedes chapter before he heads to Ferrari in 2025. Twelve seasons, six titles, and countless memories in silver – not a bad run at all.
