The 2024 F1 season has officially wrapped, as the drivers took on one final weekend in Abu Dhabi. From start to finish, the stakes were high, the emotions were even higher, and the expectations were exceeded.
Before we jump into the final standings for both Championships and take a look into what happened at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a couple of things to mention:
Authors Note 1: The Formula One Season has two main championship competitions. The first is the Drivers' Championship, which is a competition between the individual drivers. The drivers who finish in the top 10 each weekend will score points (the higher you place, the more points you get). These points are added up, and whichever driver finishes with the most points at the end of the season will win the Drivers' Championship. The next is the Constructors' Championship, a competition between the teams. The number of points the drivers within a team get each race is combined, creating the total points for the team (E.g., Lando Norris has scored 374 points, and Oscar Piastri has scored 292 points, giving the McLaren team 666 points in the Constructors' Championship). The team whose drivers accumulate the most points combined for their team will win the Constructors' Championship.
Author's Note 2: 24 drivers will be listed on the Drivers' Championship. Oliver Bearman was a replacement driver for Carlos Sainz for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Kevin Magnussen for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and Kevin Magnussen for the São Paulo Grand Prix, while Jack Doohan replaced Esteban Ocon for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Also, Franco Calapinto has replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams, and Liam Lawson has replaced Daniel Ricciardo at RB for the remainder of the season.
Author's Note 3: There will be multiple drivers that qualified in a certain position but started the race in a different position. This is because of the multiple grid-place penalties that were given before the Grand Prix.
Now, here is a look at the final Drivers' and Constructors' standings before the race weekend:
Drivers' Championship Standings:
Max Verstappen 437 points
Lando Norris 374 points
Charles Leclerc 356 points
Oscar Piastri 292 points
Carlos Sainz 290 points
George Russell 245 points
Lewis Hamilton 223 points
Sergio Perez 152 points
Fernando Alonso 70 points
Pierre Gasly 42 points
Nico Hulkenberg 41 points
Yuki Tsunoda 30 points
Lance Stroll 24 points
Esteban Ocon 23 points
Kevin Magnussen 16 points
Alexander Albon 12 points
Daniel Ricciardo 12 points
Oliver Bearman 7 points
Franco Colapinto 5 points
Zhou Guanyu 4 points
Liam Lawson 4 points
Valtteri Bottas 0 points
Logan Sargeant 0 points
Jack Doohan 0 points
Constructor's Championship Standings:
McLaren 666 points
Ferrari 652 points
Red Bull 589 points
Mercedes 468 points
Aston Martin 94 points
Alpine 65 points
Haas 58 points
Racing Bulls 46 points
Williams 17 points
Kick Sauber 4 points
Standings were found at F1.com.
Alpine
Alpine overall had exactly the weekend they were hoping to have in Abu Dhabi. Jack Doohan qualified 20th but started 17th and finished 15th, while Pierre Gasly qualified 6th but started 5th and finished 7th.
What an amazing way to end the season for Alpine. Going from one of the worst teams on the grid to claiming 6th in the Constructors' and a top-10 placement in the Drivers' is quite the turnaround. Gasly was incredible this weekend, as he was able to maintain a competitive pace and lock down their place in the Constructors' Championship.
Doohan's performance wasn't anything to write home about, but the experience he gained from this weekend will be valuable. Having a full-time seat in 2025, all Doohan needed to do this weekend was not crash and get used to what it was like to be in an F1 car, and he did just that.
Alpine's result this weekend as a whole should be one they are extremely proud of. Considering where they were before Brazil, it was so impressive to see Gasly and the Alpine team silence the doubters and end the season on an extremely strong note.
Aston Martin
Aston Martin had a quiet weekend in Abu Dhabi. Lance Stroll qualified 13th and finished 14th, while Fernando Alonso qualified 8th and finished 9th.
Aston Martin were one of the few teams this weekend with nothing to fight for. Their driver lineup will stay the same going into 2025 and their place in both Championships were cemented.
Considering how bad the car has been during the 2nd half of the year, coming away with a couple points should be considered a good result for Aston Martin. Stroll was still horrible, but Alonso once again saved the team from embarrassment.
Aston Martin should be relieved that the 2024 season is over. With much to look forward to in 2025 and beyond, Aston Martin fans should feel excited regarding the direction the team is going in.
Ferrari
Ferrari's weekend and season did not end the way they had hoped, but the result was still one to be proud of. Carlos Sainz qualified 3rd and finished 2nd, while Charles Leclerc qualified 14th but started 20th (grid-place penalty for energy store replacement) and finished 3rd.
After qualifying, most believed the battle for the Constructors' Championship was off. However, no one expected Leclerc to go from 20th to 8th in the span of a single lap. From there, Leclerc made up place after place, but Sainz was just not quick enough to catch the McLaren in front of him, ending the hope of winning the Constructors' title. It was a fantastic effort from both drivers; the team should be proud of the resilience and fight they showed all weekend long.
In what was Sainz's last race for Ferrari, a podium finish felt like as good a send-off as you could get. Of course, Ferrari's eyes were set on something bigger, but if they were not going to win the Constructors' Championship, this is the next best way to end the 2024 season.
Haas
Haas was on the wrong end of their fight in the Constructors' Championship this weekend. Kevin Magnussen qualified 15th but started 14th and finished 16th, while Nico Hulkenberg qualified 4th but started 7th (3-place grid penalty) and finished 8th.
Haas just didn't have enough left in the tank come race day. Hülkenberg had a stellar qualifying that was ruined by a grid penalty, while Magnussen got hit from the side by Valtteri Bottas and afterward did not have the pace to come back.
In what was a sendoff for both Haas drivers (Hulkenberg is driving for Sauber in 2025 and Magnussen is without a seat in 2025), the weekend unfortunately did not turn out the way they had hoped. However, Haas still has much to be proud of after this season. No one expected them to have the pace they showed all season long. Yet, Haas was able to prove that their team is legitimate and can make a serious run among the midfield constructors come 2025.
Kick Sauber
Sauber unfortunately was not able to replicate the success they saw in Qatar in Abu Dhabi. Valtteri Bottas qualified 9th but did not finish the race due to a collision with Kevin Magnussen, while Zhou Guanyu qualified 17th but started 15th and finished 13th.
It wasn't the disastrous kind of weekend we are accustomed to seeing from Sauber, but it still was far from what they were hoping. Bottas looked rapid in qualifying, and it seemed like he was on for his first points finish of the year, but he unfortunately made a brutal mistake that ruined his race. Zhou, on the other hand, was pretty anonymous all weekend long. 13th is a solid result for Zhou, but considering the potential the car had, it was disappointing not to see him compete for points.
It was disappointing to see Sauber struggle this much knowing it will be both drivers' last race in F1 for the foreseeable future. Points were definitely on the table for Sauber this weekend, but they failed to deliver. With next year being Sauber's last in F1 (Audi is replacing them in 2026), one can only hope that the team was able to learn from their slight success within the last couple of races, and apply it to the car next season.
McLaren
In what was a wild ride all season long, McLaren got the job done in Abu Dhabi, sealing their first Constructors' Championship since 1998. Oscar Piastri qualified 2nd and finished 10th, while Lando Norris started on pole and won the race.
If Piastri did not collide with Max Verstappen going into turn 1, McLaren would've had one of their most dominant weekends of the season. Norris controlled the pace all race long, never losing the lead. His dominance throughout the Grand Prix was all the team in Papaya needed to win the Constructors' Championship.
Not only did McLaren win the Constructors', they did it in style. McLaren became the first team in F1 history without a single classified DNF, while Piastri became the 4th driver ever to complete every single lap of the season.
McLaren deserved this title. They were the fastest car since the Miami Grand Prix, and were the dominant team throughout most of the season. Considering where they were jsut a few years ago, this is an incredible feat for the team.
Mercedes
Mercedes ended their 2024 season on a high note, producing a result they can be proud of. George Russell qualified 7th but started 6th and finished 5th, while Lewis Hamilton qualified 18th but started 16th and finished 4th.
This weekend marked the end of the most successful duo in F1 history, as Lewis Hamilton drove his final race for Mercedes. After qualifying, where Hamilton's lap was ruined by a pole marker, it looked like Hamilton and Mercedes were in for yet another disappointing weekend. We were dead wrong.
Hamilton, determined to finish his Mercedes tenure on a high note, flew through the field and ended up producing the best result he could have hoped for. It was also only fitting that his final overtake in a Mercedes car was against his teammate on the final lap!
Russell and Hamilton drove brilliantly all race long. They knew they were not going to be able to compete for a podium, so they did the next best thing and finished right outside it. Taking the struggles Mercedes had all season long into account, it was unknown where they were going to finish this weekend. However, they faced adversity head-on and gave Hamilton the send-off he and the team deserved.
Racing Bulls
Racing Bulls had an underwhelming weekend in Abu Dhabi, as their race pace was simply not there. Liam Lawson qualified 12th and did not finish the race (crashed on the final lap), while Yuki Tsunoda qualified 11th and finished 12th.
RB was pretty quiet all race long. Neither driver was really talked about until Lawson crashed on the last lap. Unfortunately for RB, neither driver could really show their skills this weekend, as the car was not quick enough to compete for points.
With the team basically out of the running for 6th or 7th in the Constructors' Championship, the only fight RB had this weekend was internal. As we are all aware by now, there's a Red Bull seat that could open, and the candidates are the two RB drivers. Tsunoda got the best of Lawson this weekend; however, Red Bull still seems open to any possibility.
Red Bull's decision on who to put alongside Max Verstappen in 2025 should come down to the post-season test. With Tsunoda primed to drive for Red Bull, his performance will be telling of whether or not the Red Bull team is impressed enough to give him a spot.
Red Bull
Red Bull had a poor weekend by their standards, showing no real pace all weekend long. Sergio Perez qualified 10th but did not finish the race after a collision on lap 1, while Max Verstappen qualified 5th but started 4th and finished 6th.
Red Bull had nothing to fight for this weekend, as they were out of the Constructors' fight and had already won the Drivers' Championship. Verstappen thought it would be a good idea to attempt a wild overtake on Oscar Piastri going into turn 1, which caused a collision and ruined Piastri's race. Meanwhile, Perez also collided with another driver, Valtteri Bottas, which forced him to retire the car.
Other than that, there is not much to report about regarding Red Bull. After the lap 1 shenanigans, Verstappen quietly made his way back up to P6, which is all the car was able to do. It was sad to see Perez DNF in what could be his last race for Red Bull; but at this point, he might be a sitting duck anyways.
Williams
Williams had exactly the weekend that was expected. Franco Colapinto qualified 19th but started 20th and did not finish the race due to an engine failure, while Alex Albon qualified 16th but started 18th and finished 11th.
With the team exceeding the cost cap significantly, Williams was unable to use any new car parts, which sacrificed any sort of race pace going into the weekend. Albon was somehow able to finish 11th, but Colapinto struggled from start to finish.
Williams' 2nd half of the season started off so promisingly, but their mistakes cost them dearly. With the drivers crashing a combined 16 times in the second half of the season, there was no way for Williams to maintain its solid run of form and not exceed the cost cap.
In more positive news, Williams will have Carlos Sainz drive the car for the first time during the post-season test. This will give Williams a good idea of what their season could look like come 2025. Though team principal James Vowles has said numerous times that their focus is on 2026, the potential to surprise in 2025 is still very much in play.
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Catch you next time!
-Matt Hylen
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