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Lando Norris secured McLaren's first Formula 1 Constructors' Championship since 1998 with a commanding victory at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Starting from pole position, Norris dominated the race, finishing six seconds ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, while Charles Leclerc completed the podium after a remarkable drive from 19th on the grid.
Norris' fourth win of the season cemented McLaren's title, despite Ferrari's strong performance. McLaren clinched the championship by a 14-point margin, ending a 26-year drought. Reflecting on the team's achievement, Norris said, "It feels incredible. Not for myself but for the whole team. They have done an amazing job from where we were at the beginning. For us to win the Constructors' Championship after 26 years is pretty special."
The race was not without drama. McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who started second, was spun by Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the opening corner. Verstappen, already crowned Drivers' Champion, was handed a 10-second penalty for causing the collision. This left Norris as McLaren's sole hope for the title, while Piastri battled back to finish tenth despite further penalties.
Ferrari's Leclerc delivered an outstanding performance, overtaking 11 cars in the first lap alone and climbing to third by mid-race. However, his efforts fell short of overturning McLaren's lead. Speaking after the race, Leclerc remarked, "I knew I had to be very aggressive. That was achieved, but we were just starting a bit too far back to do more."
Lewis Hamilton also shone in his final race for Mercedes, recovering from 16th on the grid to finish fourth after an exhilarating last-lap overtake on teammate George Russell. Hamilton described his journey with Mercedes as transformative, saying over team radio, "What started as a leap of faith turned into a journey into the history books."
McLaren's resurgence under CEO Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella has been remarkable. Brown, reflecting on the season, admitted, "That was the worst two hours of my life. Lando drove brilliantly, and the team was flawless." He added, "Next: try and repeat Constructors' and get the Drivers'."
Norris echoed this sentiment, proclaiming confidently, "Next year's going to be my year, too." With McLaren back on top and Norris in peak form, the team heads into 2025 as strong favorites to continue their winning streak.
