Contrary to our expectations, McLaren appeared to be the strongest team. Is Ferrari hiding their pace or facing difficulties?
Final race of the 2024 Season in Abu Dhabi. The Constructors’ Championship will be decided here, with McLaren and Ferrari separated by just 21 points and 44 still up for grabs. Despite the significant gap, the Maranello team remains hopeful and will bring extreme solutions, including an exceptionally low ride height.
The Yas Marina Circuit, after the 2021 layout change, sees a reduced number of slow corners, thereby increasing overtaking opportunities. This circuit certainly suits Ferrari‘s characteristics better, but we must also consider the 10-place grid penalty handed to Charles Leclerc this morning due to a battery pack replacement
Pirelli has chosen to bring the softest compounds — C3, C4, and C5 — for this final race of the season, just as they did in 2023. A critical factor on this track will be graining, making the two-stop strategy, as seen last season, the fastest option..
Race Pace Analysis FP2 Abu Dhabi:here are this afternoon’s times
McLaren was undoubtedly the fastest team in this FP2 session, excelling in both qualifying and race simulations. Surprisingly, third place went to Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas, as he aims to end his impressive two-year stint with the American team on a high note.
In terms of race simulation, all teams chose the medium tires, with one exception: Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas, which fitted soft tires and will require a more in-depth analysis. Nonetheless, all 20 drivers kept two sets of hard tires for the race, likely preparing for a medium-hard-hard strategy.
The fastest lap in the race simulation, among those who opted for medium tires, was set by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. The Australian driver appeared to be the quickest in race pace, consistently lap times under 1:29.5, with the exception of his final lap before the pit stop, which was completed in 1:30.876.
Lando Norris also performed very well, as he aims to secure second place in the Drivers’ Championship in addition to McLaren’s push for the Constructors’ title. His race simulation was more consistent than that of Oscar Piastri, with Norris’ laps staying within a two-tenth range for most of the session.
Ferrari, on the other hand, seems to be struggling a bit more, having faced a more troubled race simulation. Following the tire management issues experienced at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc opted for a slower introduction of the tire set, starting with a 1:30.068. After a few laps in the 1:29 range, his times returned to 1:30 due to the onset of graining.
The graining lasted for about three laps before clearing up, allowing Leclerc to finish his race simulation with a strong lap time of 1:29.765. A similar situation occurred for Carlos Sainz, although his overall race simulation was slightly slower compared to his teammate.
The longest race simulation was carried out by Max Verstappen in the Red Bull. However, the World Champion wasn’t particularly convincing during this run. As we know, though, Red Bull doesn’t always show its full potential on Fridays, and the team often holds back their true pace until the later sessions, particularly in qualifying and the race.
The race simulation from Mercedes should not be underestimated, as it appeared strong. The Brackley team could, like Verstappen, play a key role in the outcome of the Constructors’ Championship. Additionally, Lewis Hamilton will be looking to leave a lasting impression with the team that has helped him rewrite history, making Mercedes a potential threat in the final stages of the season.
Finally, we must certainly mention Nico Hulkenberg’s race simulation. As we noted earlier, the German driver was the only one to opt for soft tires during his long run, and he posted impressive times, consistently staying under 1:29, with very little sign of graining despite completing 8 laps — a significant number. This suggests that some teams may be able to take a risk and use the soft tire during the race, potentially creating an alternative strategy for those willing to push it.
PHOTO: McLaren, GPKingdom.