The 2024 Formula One season is set for a thrilling finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has already claimed the individual Driver’s Championship but the Team title, the Constructors’ Championship, still hangs in the balance.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The Abu Dhabi GP is held on the 5.281km Yas Marina circuit. The drivers will complete 58 laps and cover just over 306km.
Verstappen has started in pole position and won this race every year since 2020.
Constructors Championship
McLaren, (Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri), holds a narrow 21-point lead over Ferrari in the two-horse race for the prestigious team title.
That being said, Ferrari will have to race exceedingly well and McLaren will have to underperform for the former to win, as not even a one-two finish from Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz combined with a bonus point for the fastest lap would be enough for them to win the title. Both teams are looking to break lengthy title droughts, with McLaren last winning in 1998 and Ferrari in 2009.
Despite Verstappen’s individual brilliance, Red Bull is 38 points behind Ferrari and can’t win the title.
Storylines
In the lead-up to this race, there have been some fiery exchanges between Verstappen and Mercedes’ George Russell. The tension comes after Russell made a successful appeal to officials which saw Verstappen stripped of pole position and placed in P2 behind the British driver. Verstappen said after the race he had lost all respect for Russell, who responded on Thursday by telling reporters: “He said to me he’s going to purposely go out of his way to crash into me.” Russell added in a separate interview: “Someone needs to stand up to a bully like this — and so far people are letting him get away with murder”.
Australian fans will keep a close eye on Jack Doohan, who is making his official Formula One debut for British team Alpine this weekend. Former Alpine driver Esteban Ocon, who will race with Haas in 2025, has been released from his contract early to allow Doohan to gain some F1 race experience before he begins as a full-time driver with Alpine next season.
How to watch
The race will begin at 12:00am on Monday (AEDT). You can watch Formula 1 on Foxtel or Kayo.
