Not let down by the inability to consistently fight for the drivers’ world title with Max Verstappen, Lando Norris kept McLaren going on Sunday night, running out of time at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix race to give the British outfit its first constructors’ title since 1998.
There were euphoric scenes in the McLaren pit at Yas Marina Circuit as the 25-year-old’s fourth season win gave them the team title by 14 points.
Even Norris, to put it simply, was barely born when McLaren last won the world title in 1998.
“You all deserve this. Thank you so much. This has been a very special year,” Norris said after the race.
Next year is going to be my year too,’ he said, adding that he aspires to win his first world championship as a driver in 2025.
Red Bull’s Verstappen – who won the drivers’ world title last month with a fifth-place finish at the Las Vegas Grand Prix – was sixth in Abu Dhabi where the Dutchman had won four races in succession.
Where Norris was in race victory on Sunday, Verstappen received the big trophy and closed out the season with his fourth drivers’ world title.
The seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in his Mercedes stint. The British star will drive next season for the historic Ferrari team.
On Sunday, Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and Charles Leclerc of Renault were second and third respectively. But the Italians couldn’t win after Leclerc was given a 10-place grid penalty during Friday’s practice.
Norris went and picked it off like a pro, and gave a race masterclass at the grand Yas Marina Circuit.
The McLaren driver’s victory also pushed him to second place in the drivers’ championship — 374 points, 63 points behind leader Verstappen (437), while third-place goes to Leclerc (356 points).
For Hamilton, finishing fourth on Sunday was nothing short of miraculous after the Briton’s car crashed into a track bollard in Saturday’s qualifying session.
And even with the mediocre 18th position in qualifying, the seven-time world champion put on a show, even teetering close to a podium finish in Abu Dhabi, a race he’s already won five times.
Hamilton even got by teammate George Russell in the final lap to huge applause. “Lewis, that was world champion ambition,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
It was a sentimental finish for Hamilton who ran his last race with Mercedes, a team for which he has won six world championships.
Not the perfect race however as Norris’ partner Oscar Pistari smashed Verstappen in the floodlights of Yas Marina on Sunday.
But what happened on the track was so savage that the audience stood up.
Results:
1. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren), 1hr 26min 33.291sec, 2.Carlos Sainz (ESP/Ferrari) at 5.832s, 3.Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 31.928, 4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 36.483, 5. George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) 37.538, 6. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 49.847, 7. Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine) 1:12.560, 8. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Haas) 1:15.554, 9. Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin) 1:22.373, 10. Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren) 1:23.821, 11. Alex Albon (THA/Williams) 1 lap, 12.Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/RB) 1 lap, 13. Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Sauber) 1 lap, 14. Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin) 1 lap, 15. Jack Doohan (AUS/Alpine) 1 lap, 16. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas) 1 lap, 17. Liam Lawson (NZL/RB) 3 laps
Fastest lap: Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas) 1:25.637
DNF:
Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull), Franco Colapinto (ARG/Williams), Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Sauber), Liam Lawson (NZL/RB)
World championship standings
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (NED) 437 pts – world champion, 2. Lando Norris (GBR) 374, 3. Charles Leclerc (MON) 356, 4. Oscar Piastri (AUS) 292, 5. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) 290, 6. George Russell (GBR) 245, 7. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 223, 8. Sergio Perez (MEX) 152, 9. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 70, 10. Pierre Gasly (FRA) 42, 11. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) 41, 12. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) 30, 13. Lance Stroll (CAN) 24, 14. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 23, 15. Kevin Magnussen (DEN) 16, 16. Alexander Albon (THA) 12, 17. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) 12, 18. Oliver Bearman (GBR) 7, 19. Franco Colapinto (ARG) 5, 20. Zhou Guanyu (CHN) 4, 21. Liam Lawson (NZL) 4, 22. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) 0, 23. Logan Sargeant (USA) 0, 24. Jack Doohan (AUS) 0
Constructors
1. McLaren 666 pts – world champions, 2. Ferrari 652, 3. Red Bull 589, 4. Mercedes 468, 5. Aston Martin 94, 6. Alpine 65, 7. Haas 58, 8. RB 46, 9. Williams 17, 10. Sauber 4