McLaren win constructors’ championship after Lando Norris’ Abu Dhabi victory
The 25-year-old claimed his fourth win of the season.
Lando Norris secured a dominant victory at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to win McLaren their first constructors’ championship since 1998.
The 25-year-old’s fourth win of the season meant McLaren held off the charge of Ferrari as team-mate Oscar Piastri finished only 10th after an eventful race for the Australian at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Ferrari pair Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were second and third to push McLaren all the way but Norris’ win was enough to secure the title.
McLaren, whose last crown came with Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard at the wheel, finished 14 points clear of the Scuderia.
Norris’ lights-to-flag win also secured second in the drivers’ championship, the highest finish of his career, having led the fight to world champion Max Verstappen for much of the season.
McLaren came into the season finale with a 21-point lead and strengthened their grip on the title by securing a one-two in qualifying.
But it was a disastrous start for the Woking-based team as Verstappen started well from fourth and dove up the inside of Piastri, with the pair making contact and the Australian ending up at the back of the field.
“Move of a world champion, that,” Piastri said over the team radio.
The four-time world champion was handed a 10-second penalty for causing the collision. Piastri’s start got worse as he hit the back of Franco Colapinto, getting himself a 10-second penalty and also having to make an early pit stop.
Meanwhile, Leclerc made a stunning start having begun 19th due to a 10-place grid penalty, charging up to eighth by the end of the first lap.
Crucially for McLaren, pole-sitter Norris kept his lead – knowing a win would guarantee them the title – and opened up a healthy advantage over Sainz.
Sergio Perez, whose Red Bull future is in major doubt, was hit by Valtteri Bottas and had to retire on lap two.
Leclerc’s sensational charge continued as he undercut George Russell in the pits and was third after all the stops.
Sainz, in his last race for Ferrari ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at the Italian team, pitted ahead of Norris but McLaren responded with a two-second pit stop under pressure to ensure the British driver retained the lead.
The Spaniard was unable to make an impression on Norris’ advantage as he opened up a five-second lead with 13 laps remaining.
Norris continued to build his advantage in the final laps to seal a sensational victory and complete the job for McLaren, with Piastri recovering to take a single point for 10th.
“It feels incredible,” Norris said. “Not for myself but for the whole team, to come from where we were at the beginning. To end the season like this is perfect.
“Big thanks to everyone at McLaren. To win this after 26 years is pretty special.
“Me and Zak (Brown, CEO) have already said we are going to get absolutely hammered tonight so I’m excited. It’s going to be a good night!”
Hamilton came home fourth in his 246th and final race for Mercedes, delivering a superb drive to recover from 16th on the grid.
Hamilton’s final act of a glittering 12-year stay at Mercedes began with a dismal Q1 elimination, with team boss Toto Wolff apologising to him for the team’s “idiotic” mistake to send him out so late.
The seven-time world champion, who has won six of those during his 12 seasons with the Silver Arrows, made his way through the field and charged after team-mate Russell in the closing stages, passing him on the final lap to claim fourth.
Verstappen finished sixth after serving his penalty.
