The Final Act, a Historic Rivalry – All ingredients of a fierce qualifying session in Abu Dhabi, where Lando Norris claimed the last pole position of the season, ahead of Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz.
A thrilling qualifying session sets the stage for tomorrow’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 8. Lauda vs. Hunt, Prost vs. Senna, Schumacher vs. Hakkinen, Raikkonen vs. Hamilton: a historic rivalry between McLaren and Scuderia Ferrari. In Abu Dhabi, the protagonists may change, but the story remains the same. At the Yas Marina circuit, both teams fight for the opportunity to take home the Constructors’ Cup, which has eluded both for far too long.
Lando Norris will start at the front of the grid in the final race of the 2024 season, alongside Oscar Piastri in a McLaren front row. Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg will line up in the second row. It looks like everything is in McLaren’s favor this weekend, while Ferrari seems to be struggling; yet, it’s not over yet.
In a heartbreaking session for Lewis Hamilton, this is his last qualifying in a Mercedes-AMG Petronas team uniform. The British driver was eliminated during Q1, posting the 18th fastest time; his performance may have been compromised by a device stuck under his car. Similarly, Charles Leclerc’s session was marred by track limits, which nullified his best lap, after he initially posted the fastest time in the session.
Qualifying Report for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: The Last of 2024
As the sun sets over the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, drivers prepare to take to the track for the final pole position of the 2024 Formula 1 season under the lights.
Q1 – The opening of qualifying at the Emirati circuit saw Mercedes and Aston Martin go first, with Lance Stroll setting an early reference time of 1:24.366. Then, Sergio Perez – who will need to deliver a solid performance this weekend to secure his seat at Red Bull – improved on Stroll’s time, setting 1:23.559. However, Max Verstappen quickly went faster, posting a 1:23.516, taking the lead, while Perez’s time was deleted for track limits (later reinstated).
Ferrari soon made their mark, with Carlos Sainz setting the fastest time, just +0.029 ahead of Verstappen, while Charles Leclerc clocked the fifth fastest time, behind Norris and Piastri. Meanwhile, Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were in 8th and 9th positions respectively. In the midfield, Franco Colapinto managed to avoid elimination (at least temporarily), as did Alex Albon, who finished 10th and 12th respectively. A surprise from Sauber, with Valtteri Bottas setting a time of 1:23.481 before Charles Leclerc claimed the top spot.
A huge shock came with Lewis Hamilton’s elimination – the seven-time world champion will start 18th in his final race with Mercedes. Also eliminated from Q2 were Alex Albon, Zhou Guanyu, Franco Colapinto, and Jack Doohan, who was making his Formula 1 debut this weekend and will join Alpine alongside Pierre Gasly in 2025.
Q2 – After a brief delay, Q2 began, with Max Verstappen being the first to dip below 1:23, setting a time of 1:22.998, followed by George Russell, +0.807 behind. Nico Hulkenberg improved his time, placing his Haas behind Verstappen, but Carlos Sainz quickly took second, followed by Lando Norris in third.
With six minutes left, Charles Leclerc was in danger of elimination, while Verstappen returned to the pits and stepped out of his car. Leclerc managed to secure the fastest lap, temporarily knocking his teammate Carlos Sainz out. However, the Spaniard bounced back, setting the 4th fastest time, just +0.005 behind Leclerc.
It was another tough session for Leclerc, who after a battery pack change, incurred a 10-place grid penalty and had also been affected by food poisoning earlier in the weekend. To add to his woes, his fastest lap was deleted due to track limits, and he was eliminated from Q2, starting last for the Abu Dhabi GP. Joining him in missing Q3 were Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, Lance Stroll, and Kevin Magnussen. On the bright side for Sauber, Valtteri Bottas made it to the next stage.
Q3 – Max Verstappen, after nearly losing control of his car, managed to take provisional pole with a time of 1:22.945. Lando Norris was just 0.004 seconds behind, followed by Carlos Sainz. Oscar Piastri’s time was initially deleted but later reinstated, as had been the case for Sergio Perez in Q1.
Nico Hulkenberg briefly held provisional pole before Piastri took it from him by +0.082, followed by Sainz, who finished his final qualifying lap in the SF-24. Ultimately, it was Lando Norris who claimed pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Verstappen will start 5th, followed by Pierre Gasly, George Russell, Fernando Alonso, Valtteri Bottas, and Sergio Perez completing the top 10.
Photos: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, Scuderia Ferrari HP, McLaren.
