2024 F1 Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying Results: Full starting grid for the race
Formula 1 is in the United Arab Emirates for the final race of the 2024 season, the Abu Dhabi GP. It is the 24th race of the season and the last race for Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes overalls. Max Verstappen has already clinched the driver's championship, and all eyes will be on McLaren versus Ferrari for the constructors' title.
Lando Norris claimed the pole ahead of his teammate, Oscar Piastri, to seal the front-row starting position on Sunday. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz will start the race from P3, giving his team a ray of hope on Sunday since Charles Leclerc qualified in P14, and will start the race from P19.
Nico Hulkenberg pulled off a scintillating display to put his Haas in the second row as he initially qualified in P4 but he later received a three-place grid penalty for overtaking at the pit exit road. He will now start from P7.
Title holder Max Verstappen will start the race from P4 instead, ahead of Alpine's Pierre Gasly. Mercedes' George Russell will start from P6, and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin will be in P8.
Sauber's surprise Valtteri Bottas qualified in P9, while Sergio Perez made it to Q3 and wrapped up the top 10. Notably, Hamilton qualified in P18 after his final flying lap was hampered by a bollard.
He will start Sunday's race, his last as a Mercedes driver, from P16 (Charles Leclerc will start from P19 due to a grid penalty). Besides McLaren versus Ferrari, Haas, Alpine, and RB are set to go all out for P6 in the Constructors' Championship.
Here's how the grid lines up for Sunday's Abu Dhabi GP at the Yas Marina Circuit:
Lando Norris - McLaren
Oscar Piastri - McLaren
Carlos Sainz - Ferrari
Max Verstappen - Red Bull
Pierre Gasly - Alpine
George Russell - Mercedes
Nico Hulkenberg - Haas
Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin
Valtteri Bottas - Sauber
Sergio Perez - Red Bull
Yuki Tsunoda - RB
Liam Lawson - RB
Lance Stroll - Aston Martin
Kevin Magnussen - Haas
Zhou Guanyu - Sauber
Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes
Jack Doohan - Alpine
Alex Albon - Williams
Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
Franco Colapinto - Williams
Lando Norris wants to clinch constructors' championship with McLaren in style in Abu Dhabi GP
As Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri sealed the front row for Sunday's Abu Dhabi GP at Yas Marina Circuit, he stated that he wants to win the race and seal the title for his team in style. Here's what he said in the post-qualifying interview:
"A perfect day for us, probably a little tougher than we were hoping for but my lap in the end was strong. Just how we wanted to end today," Norris said.
"We have to beat Ferrari, that's the aim but we want to do it in style. We want to win, I want to win. I'll give it everything I've got. Very happy and the team have done an incredible job."
McLaren (640) is currently 21 points ahead of Ferrari (619) in the battle for the constructors' championship. The Papayas will need to outwit the Prancing Horse on Sunday to seal their first constructors' title since 1998.