Formula 1: Charles Leclerc ends season in style, on podium at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
© Scuderia Ferrari HP
Ferrari put in a remarkable performance for the last Grand Prix of the season, in Abu Dhabi, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz on the podium, in 3rd and 2nd place respectively. McLaren topped the Constructors ranking in the end, by a slender lead of 14 points.
Charles Leclerc started the race in 19th position and had a spectacular first lap, moving up to 8th place, thanks to some bold overtaking, but also to events that took place ahead of him, such as the collision between Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen.
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Continuing his progress after several intense laps, the Monegasque found himself in fourth behind Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz and George Russell, thanks in particular to a pit stop by Pierre Gasly on lap 14.
On lap 20, Ferrari’s strategy made the difference when the team opted for a pit stop to change to Hard tyres, allowing Charles Leclerc to move up a few places thanks to a well-executed undercut. Back on the track in 8th place, the number 16 gradually clawed his way up the order until Verstappen’s 10-second penalty (for his collision with Piastri) and Lewis Hamilton’s pit stop secured him 3rd place from lap 34, which he held on to until the end of the race.
As a result, Charles Leclerc stood on the podium for the 13th time this season. The Monegasque finished 3rd in the Drivers’ overall ranking with 356 points, behind Lando Norris (374 points) and Max Verstappen (437 points and World Champion for the 4th time).
“The first lap was really strong, I managed to move up 11 places, from 19th to 8th. The first pit stop was good, but it was a bit difficult to overtake because there was DRS at the front. We managed to get through and we managed our tyres well, so I’m very satisfied with the way we handled our race. There was nothing we could have done better,” Charles Leclerc said in the Scuderia Ferrari press release.
Ferrari, second in the Constructors’ standings
With these results, Ferrari finished the 2024 season in 2nd place in the Constructors’ Championship, 14 points behind McLaren (652 and 666 points respectively). This is a historic gap for the title, and the smallest since 2010. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for the team, but also an sign of undeniable progress. There were solid performances during the season, but also a lack of consistency compared to an extremely competitive McLaren team.
“Even though the race itself was incredible, we didn’t achieve our main objective, which was to win the Constructors’ title, so there’s a genuine disappointment today. Looking ahead to next year, I hope we can start the season with a really strong car.
That’s probably where we fell down this year. We came back strong in the second half of the season, which enabled us to make a big difference thanks to the incredible work of everyone at the factory, who created the enhancements that enabled us to perform as we did. That gives me confidence for the future and I’m really looking forward to getting back on the track in 2025. A big thank you to all the team who made this season possible,” said the Monegasque driver in conclusion.