F1 RESULTS TODAY: Verstappen Struggles as Red Bull WOES Persist at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix...read more

F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Verstappen Struggles as Red Bull Woes Persist

Max Verstappen’s frustrations with his Red Bull car continued during the final practice session for the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The drivers’ champion voiced his complaints once again, expressing his dissatisfaction with the RB20. Over the team radio, Verstappen was heard saying, “My brakes are not working, my front axle isn’t biting. It’s like they’re glazed over or something.”

This isn’t the first time Verstappen has expressed concern about the performance of his car in Abu Dhabi. Despite securing his world title earlier in the season, Red Bull has been facing a series of technical challenges, and those issues seem to be lingering as the season draws to a close. While Verstappen’s complaints focus on the car’s braking system, his teammate Sergio Perez also struggled throughout the session, finishing well outside the top spots.

Perez’s form has been under scrutiny for much of the season, and his lack of pace in FP3 adds more pressure to a team already reeling from its ongoing struggles. Despite Red Bull clinching both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles earlier in the year, these late-season issues are raising concerns about the team’s preparation heading into 2025.

As Verstappen battles with his car, a new narrative is beginning to unfold on the grid — a rivalry with Mercedes driver George Russell. The tension between the two has been building for several races, with on-track incidents and heated post-race comments keeping their rivalry in the spotlight. Heading into the final race of the season, all eyes are on whether this burgeoning feud will impact the outcome of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

But the drama at the Yas Marina Circuit doesn’t end there. The most significant story of the weekend is the battle for second place in the constructors’ championship between McLaren and Ferrari. McLaren holds a solid 21-point advantage going into the race, but Ferrari’s hopes suffered a major setback when Charles Leclerc was handed a 10-place grid penalty for using a new battery beyond his season allocation.

The Scuderia now faces an uphill battle to reclaim second place, especially after Friday’s developments. McLaren’s drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, dominated the final practice session, with Piastri setting the fastest time of the session at 1:23.433. Norris followed closely behind, just 0.193 seconds slower than his teammate. The papaya-clad cars have been in excellent form, showing consistent pace throughout the weekend.

Ferrari, on the other hand, struggled to keep up. Carlos Sainz finished fifth, 0.438 seconds off Piastri’s pace, while Leclerc, already facing a penalty, could only manage ninth place. This puts the Italian team in a difficult position heading into qualifying and the race, as McLaren looks poised to capitalize on their rivals’ misfortunes and secure the runners-up spot in the standings.

In contrast to Red Bull’s difficulties, Mercedes showed solid pace with Lewis Hamilton finishing third, 0.390 seconds behind Piastri. George Russell also managed a respectable sixth place, though he was more than half a second off the pace. Mercedes will be hoping to finish the season strong after a campaign filled with ups and downs.

Haas delivered a surprising performance with Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen finishing seventh and eighth, respectively, showcasing the team’s improvements towards the end of the season. Meanwhile, Williams driver Alex Albon, who has had an impressive season with the team, finished 12th, just behind Yuki Tsunoda’s VCARB.

FP3 also saw decent showings from Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan, finishing 13th and 14th, respectively. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin could only manage 15th, while his teammate Lance Stroll finished further down in 18th place. Aston Martin, a team that started the season strong, has struggled to maintain that momentum in the second half of the year.

As the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend progresses, McLaren’s dominance in practice sets them up as the favorites to close out 2024 on a high. With Red Bull continuing to wrestle with their technical problems and Ferrari facing penalties, the stage is set for an intense final showdown. Whether Verstappen can overcome his car issues or McLaren can cement their place as the second-best team of the season, all will be revealed in the final race of the year.