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Weekend context
Abu Dhabi closed the season with the drivers' title already settled but the constructors' championship still open. That gave the finale a very clear shape: Verstappen no longer needed to manage the year strategically, while McLaren and Ferrari still had a season's worth of work hanging on one last Sunday.
Qualifying summary
Norris took pole with a 1:22.595 ahead of Piastri and Sainz, putting McLaren in the strongest possible position for the title-deciding race. The front row mattered because Abu Dhabi's modern layout rewards clean air and disciplined tyre phases more than dramatic recovery drives.
Race result at the front
| Pos | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 2 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
Norris won in 1:26:33.291, Sainz finished second, and Leclerc recovered to third, while Magnussen set the fastest lap in 1:25.637. The result gave McLaren exactly what it needed to secure the constructors' championship. Abu Dhabi therefore functioned as the cleanest possible season-ending statement: pole, race win, and the team title under direct pressure.
Why the result mattered
The Abu Dhabi finale is the formal endpoint of 2024's biggest team-level story. Red Bull and Verstappen had dominated the early narrative, but McLaren's rise through the middle and second half of the year ultimately carried all the way to the constructors' crown. Norris winning the finale gave that arc a fitting final chapter.
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Next: 2024 standings