Lando Norris expertly secured victory at the action-packed Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, delivering McLaren’s first constructors’ championship in 26 years as Lewis Hamilton took an impressive fourth place in his final race for Mercedes.
Norris finished 5.832 seconds ahead of Carlos Sainz and teammate Charles Leclerc, thwarting Ferrari’s championship hopes amid a night filled with crashes, penalties, and outbursts under Yas Marina’s lights. “Papaya on top!” Norris exclaimed during his cooldown lap after the season finale.
“Congrats to everyone. Incredible. So proud of you all. You all deserve this. It’s been a special one. Next year is going to be my year too,” he added.
Before Norris was born, McLaren last won the team’s title in 1998. They began the day leading by 21 points, with both cars in the front row. However, the race saw Oscar Piastri spin in a first-corner collision with four-time champion Max Verstappen from Red Bull.
This incident spurred on Ferrari, particularly Leclerc, who started 19th and mounted a strong, albeit unsuccessful, challenge, finishing third behind Hamilton, who overtook teammate George Russell on the final lap.
Verstappen and several other drivers received a 10-second penalty for his aggressive move on Piastri. Amid hot, clear conditions, Norris led from the pole and maintained control after a clean start. He navigated through an incident where Verstappen clashed with Piastri, sending both spinning.
Leclerc made a remarkable start, advancing from 19th to eighth on the opening lap. Verstappen’s penalty came after his risky overtaking maneuver, which Piastri sarcastically described over team radio as the “move of a world champion.”
Read: Lando Norris Leads McLaren to Potential Title Win Since 1998
A brief Safety Car period followed, and the race resumed with Piastri colliding with Franco Colapinto’s Williams, which forced both into the pits. Bottas also received a 10-second penalty for his role in ending Perez’s race through contact.
At the front, Norris kept his lead over Sainz, managing a fast-paced race despite the “dirty air” and maintaining composure as he navigated through the field. Hamilton, starting from 16th on hard tires, made strategic moves throughout the race, climbing steadily and eventually challenging for a podium finish.
Haas initiated an early round of pit stops, strategically benefiting Hamilton and moving him into fifth by lap 21. Sainz’s quick pit stop briefly shifted the race dynamics, but Norris regained and held his lead after his pit stop.
Verstappen, delayed by his penalty, re-entered the race in 11th place, expressing frustration over the radio. The race saw further drama as Kevin Magnussen and Valtteri Bottas, potentially in their final F1 races, collided.
In the closing stages, Hamilton’s race engineer, Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, motivated him with the iconic “Lewis, it’s hammer time” for one last push, leading to Hamilton overtaking Gasly for fifth. Norris maintained his lead at the race’s end, finishing well ahead of Sainz, with Leclerc completing the podium.
