The McLarens take advantage in the final duel for the Constructors’ title against Ferrari, with Sainz third

The die is cast for the last race of the 2024 F1 World Championship, with almost all the homework already done. The Constructors’ title and the drivers’ runner-up remain to be decided, with a double duel between McLaren and Ferrari. The pole The Abu Dhabi GP went to Lando Norris, who led the Woking team’s double on the front row. Those from Woking start with an advantage to take the crown against a Ferrari team that will only have the contribution of Carlos Sainz in the first places, third.

“I would like to fight for my last victory with Ferrari, I will have nothing to lose, so I will go for everything,” said Carlos Sainz, who is saying goodbye to four seasons with the Maranello team. Next year he will race at Williams.

Q1 and Q2

Hamilton and Leclerc, eliminated, outside the top 10

The first two races took him ahead of the two future Ferrari 2025 teammates. Lewis Hamilton fell in Q1 (18th place) after hitting a bollard. Although the most traumatic elimination was that of Charles Leclerc, who had been the fastest in the first race and was leading Q2 when he exceeded the track limits in Turn 1, his time was canceled and he fell to 14th place.

A huge punishment for the Monegasque, who is playing for runners-up starting from the back of the grid due to the 10 penalty places he was carrying. He is forced to make a heroic comeback.

The Q3

The McLarens impose their law, taking over the first row at the start to compete for victory and the Constructors’ title

In the final Q3, Verstappen took the lead in the first attempt, with the two McLarens biting his heels: Lando Norris practically tracing the time, just 4 thousandths of a second away, and Piastri at 40.

In the second attempt, the two Woking cars showed their power. After Hülkenberg took provisional first place, first Piastri and then Norris imposed the papaya law and took over the first starting row, with the Englishman in the pole.

Carlos Sainz was able to get closer to 20 thousandths of Piastri and 229 of Norris and sneak into third place, from which he will defend Ferrari’s interests in the battle for the Constructors’ World Championship.

Max Verstappen could not advance further than to fifth place (350 thousandths behind Norris) and Fernando Alonso took eighth place (601 thousandths behind).

Grill positions

Qualifying session