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Charles Leclerc was left pondering what could have been for Ferrari's championship hopes after the team narrowly missed out on the title in the season finale at Abu Dhabi. Despite a double podium finish, Ferrari's push to secure the title fell short by just 14 points, as they faced a major setback due to grid penalties.
Heading into the final race of the season, Ferrari trailed McLaren by 21 points in the constructors' standings. But when McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locked out the front row of the grid, Ferrari’s prospects dimmed further. Leclerc, who was knocked out in Q2, faced an additional 10-place grid penalty, starting from 19th.
Undeterred by the challenge, Leclerc made an incredible recovery. He surged through the field on the opening lap, gaining 11 places, and eventually finished in eighth position. While he was able to move into the higher points-paying positions, Leclerc was too far behind to challenge Norris, who went on to claim victory.
Ferrari's Double Podium Effort
Carlos Sainz's second-place finish ensured Ferrari secured 33 points for the day, compared to McLaren’s 26, as Piastri could only manage 10th place. However, it wasn’t enough to overhaul McLaren in the standings, and Ferrari ultimately lost out by a narrow 14-point margin.
Leclerc reflected on the race, acknowledging the difficulty of their situation. “I knew that on Lap 1 I had to take all the risk possible to gain as many places as possible, to then be in a good position for the rest of the race. This was achieved but unfortunately we were just starting too far back to do anything better than what we’ve done today. I think we’ve done the maximum,” he said.
He added, “It hurts obviously, because when the season is so close until the end, it was a hard hit on Friday when we knew we had the penalty. We still gave it all and just came short of our goal, which is a shame, but in the end, we’ve tried everything.”
A Bittersweet Farewell for Leclerc and Sainz
The 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marked the end of Leclerc and Sainz's partnership at Ferrari, with the Spaniard set to join Williams for the 2025 season. The duo had enjoyed their most successful season together, securing five race wins and finishing with a total of 652 points.
Leclerc reflected on their time together, expressing pride in their achievements. “We’ve had an amazing relationship,” said the Monegasque driver. “We’ve pushed each other. I really hoped that we could finish these four years together with a constructors’ title. We both gave it all, it wasn’t enough. Obviously now the disappointment is here, and I will have four/five days to reset and start thinking about next year.”
Sainz: “P2 Was the Maximum We Could Do”
Sainz shared Leclerc’s disappointment after the race, finishing 5.8 seconds behind Norris, who dominated the race from start to finish. Despite his best efforts, Sainz acknowledged McLaren’s superior pace, especially after the switch to hard tyres.
“Obviously a bit of a bittersweet feeling,” Sainz said. “In the end, P2 I think was the maximum we could do today given the pace of Lando in the McLaren. I gave it everything, especially the first stint – it looked like we could hang onto them, then as soon as we put the hard tyres on, they just seemed to be that one or two-tenths quicker per lap like we’ve seen all weekend. They just got a bit out of reach.”
He continued, “Congratulations first of all to McLaren – they deserve this championship. They’ve been rock solid in the last two-thirds of the championship and they’ve been incredible. From our side, I think we can be proud of the effort and the championship we put together. It’s been a tough year but definitely a year [that] we need to be proud of, and hopefully be back here soon.”
McLaren Seals First Constructors’ Title Since 1998
While Ferrari’s hopes of securing a constructors' championship were dashed, McLaren sealed their first title since 1998, marking a historic achievement for the British team. Lando Norris' dominant performance in Abu Dhabi was key to McLaren's success, with the team remaining consistent throughout the season’s second half to claim the top spot in the standings.
This marks the end for the Most popular and loved duo of Formula One, as Carlos Sainz is all set to move to Williams in 2025. Lewis Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz in ferrari as he had his last race in Abu Dhabi Gp for Mercedes.
