Breaking: 2024 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix starting grid after multiple penalties after FIA…read more
2024 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix starting grid after multiple penalties after FIA…read more
The 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix starting grid has been significantly reshuffled following penalties, with McLaren locking out the front row as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri aim to secure the team’s first Constructors’ Championship title since 1998.
McLaren’s championship hopes hinge on outscoring Ferrari. They will clinch the title if Ferrari falls short by 21 points in the event of a Scuderia victory, or by 22 points if Ferrari does not win. While Carlos Sainz provides a strong start for Ferrari in third place, his teammate Charles Leclerc faces a daunting challenge after being relegated to the back of the grid.
Leclerc’s troubles began in Q2, where he had a lap time deleted due to track limit violations. Initially qualifying 14th, he received a 10-place grid penalty for taking on a new battery, dropping him to 20th and last. However, a discrepancy in the FIA’s provisional grid listed him as 19th, potentially adding to Ferrari’s frustrations.
Further down the grid, Williams drivers Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto were each handed five-place penalties for new gearboxes. This decision places them in 18th and 20th, respectively.
Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg’s promising fourth-place qualifying performance for Haas was overturned following a stewards’ investigation, demoting him to seventh. Benefiting from this reshuffle, Max Verstappen moves up to fourth, followed by Pierre Gasly and George Russell, who now occupy fifth and sixth positions.
Adding to the drama, Lewis Hamilton faces an uphill battle in what is set to be his final race for Mercedes. The seven-time world champion, who announced his retirement earlier this season, qualified 16th after a rare Q1 exit.
With the final race of the season poised to be a high-stakes showdown, all eyes are on McLaren and Ferrari as they battle for supremacy. While McLaren has momentum on its side, Ferrari must rely on a stellar performance from Sainz and a miraculous recovery from Leclerc to have any hope of clinching the Constructors’ title.
The penalties and grid changes ensure an unpredictable start to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, setting the stage for an electrifying conclusion to the 2024 Formula 1 season.
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