Lando Norris capped off McLaren’s historic Constructors’ Championship-winning season in spectacular style, securing a commanding victory in the final race of the year. Norris led from pole to checkered flag, delivering a flawless drive under extreme pressure. With this win, Norris put an exclamation mark on a remarkable year for the Woking-based team.
Behind Norris, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took second place, while teammate Charles Leclerc completed the podium in a scintillating drive from 19th on the grid. Leclerc’s performance was a masterclass in racecraft and resilience, but even his heroics couldn’t secure Ferrari the Constructors’ Championship. The Scuderia’s efforts fell short despite their strong race pace, leaving them as runners-up in the team standings.
Lewis Hamilton, in what was his final Formula 1 outing for Mercedes, delivered a gritty performance to finish fourth. The seven-time world champion overcame a tough qualifying session to fight his way through the field, showcasing his signature determination one last time in silver. Teammate George Russell followed closely in fifth, ensuring a solid double points finish for Mercedes to close out the season.
Further down the order, Max Verstappen crossed the line sixth after incurring a 10-second penalty for an overly ambitious move on Oscar Piastri at Turn 1. Verstappen, to his credit, apologised to Piastri immediately after the race, acknowledging his misjudgement. The collision saw Piastri drop to the back of the field before incurring his own 10-second penalty for nudging into the back of Franco Colapinto’s Williams. Nevertheless, the Aussie recovered to score a point in 10th place.
Other notable finishes included Pierre Gasly in seventh for Alpine and Nico Hülkenberg in eighth for Haas, both drivers ending their seasons with strong points finishes. Fernando Alonso brought his Aston Martin home in the ninth. The race also marked what could be the final Grand Prix appearances for several stalwarts of the grid. Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Kevin Magnussen, all of whom failed to finish in the points, may have run their last laps in Formula 1 machinery. Each leaves a unique legacy in the sport, with Bottas in particular celebrated for his contributions to Mercedes’ dominance in the turbo-hybrid era.
As the 2024 season comes to a close, Norris, McLaren, and their incredible journey to the top should be the final chapter in a year of drama, resilience, and racing excellence. And he did so under extreme pressure, too. As Piastri’s race unravelled the slightest mistake, a minute lapse in concentration for even a split second could have let Ferrari in the door and let the championship title slip through McLaren’s fingers. But Lando Norris, in 2024,
has shown himself ready to compete at the very sharp end and able to win titles. Ferrari deserves praise for their comeback in the second half of the season. But the 2024 season belongs to McLaren who have won their first constructor’s championship title since 1998.
