Lando Norris resists Ferrari duo for Abu Dhabi win as McLaren claim F1 title
McLaren beat Ferrari to F1 title as Lando Norris wins finale, reports Lewis Larkam in Abu Dhabi.
Lando Norris single-handedly kept the Ferraris at bay to win the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and clinch F1 constructors’ championship glory for McLaren.
Norris’s fourth win of the season was enough to seal McLaren’s first constructors’ world title triumph since 1998, and their first championship win of any kind since 2008.
Ferrari put in a stern challenge but second place for Carlos Sainz, and a stunning recovery drive from Charles Leclerc to complete the podium in third, was not enough as the Italian outfit fell shy of ending their 16-year title drought.
Lewis Hamilton impressively fought back from 16th on the grid to claim fourth on his Mercedes farewell before completing his blockbuster switch to Ferrari, passing teammate George Russell on the 58th and final lap.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen’s race was ruined by a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision with Oscar Piastri’s McLaren at the start, but the four-time world champion was able to battle his way back up to sixth.
Alpine secured sixth place in the constructors’ championship as Pierre Gasly finished seventh, fending off Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Piastri completed the points-scoring positions in ninth and 10th respectively.
Sergio Perez’s expected last race for Red Bull ended in disappointment on the opening lap as he was spun out by Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas.
The Mexican, who is set to be replaced by current RB driver Liam Lawson for 2025, had to retire on the opening lap with damage picked up in the incident, which brought out an early Virtual Safety Car.
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