The 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Thread

[cmlean]

This is the place to discuss everything related to the final round of the 2024 season taking place in Abu Dhabi between the 6th-8th of December.

The event timetable for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Friday
1st Practice 13:30 local time - 09:30 GMT
2nd Practice 17:00 local time - 13:00 GMT

Saturday
Practice 14:30 local time - 10:30 GMT
Qualifying 18:00 local time - 14:00 GMT

Sunday
Race 17:00 local time - 13:00 GMT

[cmlean]

FP1 Results

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Pos	Time		Driver		  Team
1	1:24.321	Charles Leclerc	  Ferrari
2	1:24.542	Lando Norris	  McLaren
3	1:24.806	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
4	1:25.165	George Russell	  Mercedes
5	1:25.333	Pierre Gasly	  Alpine
6	1:25.373	Nico Hulkenberg	  Haas
7	1:25.382	Franco Colapinto  Williams
8	1:25.444	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
9	1:25.471	Felipe Drugovich  Aston Martin
10	1:25.483	Sergio Perez	  Red Bull Racing
11	1:25.504	Fernando Alonso	  Aston Martin
12	1:25.563	Liam Lawson	  RB
13	1:25.611	Valtteri Bottas	  Sauber
14	1:25.874	Ryo Hirakawa	  McLaren
15	1:25.877	Isack Hadjar	  Red Bull Racing
16	1:25.921	Zhou Guanyu	  Sauber
17	1:26.121	Ayumu Iwasa	  RB
18	1:26.179	Arthur Leclerc	  Ferrari
19	1:26.304	Jack Doohan	  Alpine
20	1:26.519	Luke Browning	  Williams

[cmlean]

Probably the biggest news to come out of FP1 was Charles Leclerc having battery problems that required the replacement of the unit. This took him beyond his allocation of 2 for the season and has now incurred a 10 place grid penalty for the race. With Ferrari challenging for the Constructors Championship, this could assist McLaren in attaining their first silverware since Lewis Hamilton won his first World Driver's Championship.

[cmlean]

FP2

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Pos	Time		Driver		  Team
1	1:23.517	Lando Norris	  McLaren
2	1:23.751	Oscar Piastri	  McLaren
3	1:23.979	Nico Hulkenberg	  Haas
4	1:24.099	Carlos Sainz	  Ferrari
5	1:24.119	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
6	1:24.201	Charles Leclerc	  Ferrari
7	1:24.230	Valtteri Bottas	  Sauber
8	1:24.235	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
9	1:24.269	Alexander Albon	  Williams
10	1:24.497	Yuki Tsunoda	  RB
11	1:24.503	Liam Lawson	  RB
12	1:24.517	Pierre Gasly	  Alpine
13	1:24.534	George Russell	  Mercedes
14	1:24.555	Sergio Perez	  Red Bull Racing
15	1:24.557	Zhou Guanyu	  Sauber
16	1:24.574	Fernando Alonso	  Aston Martin
17	1:24.598	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing
18	1:24.686	Lance Stroll	  Aston Martin
19	1:24.961	Jack Doohan	  Alpine
20	1:25.265	Franco Colapinto  Williams

[cmlean]

FP3

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Pos	Time		Driver		  Team
1	1:23.433	Oscar Piastri	  McLaren
2	1:23.626	Lando Norris	  McLaren
3	1:23.823	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
4	1:23.844	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing
5	1:23.871	Carlos Sainz	  Ferrari
6	1:24.075	George Russell	  Mercedes
7	1:24.093	Nico Hulkenberg	  Haas
8	1:24.094	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
9	1:24.098	Charles Leclerc	  Ferrari
10	1:24.283	Sergio Perez	  Red Bull Racing
11	1:24.343	Yuki Tsunoda	  RB
12	1:24.378	Alexander Albon	  Williams 
13	1:24.408	Pierre Gasly	  Alpine
14	1:24.434	Jack Doohan	  Alpine
15	1:24.453	Fernando Alonso	  Aston Martin
16	1:24.479	Valtteri Bottas	  Sauber
17	1:24.519	Liam Lawson	  RB
18	1:24.531	Lance Stroll	  Aston Martin
19	1:24.668	Zhou Guanyu	  Sauber
20	1:24.766	Franco Colapinto  Williams 

[cmlean]

Qualifying

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Pos	Time		Driver		  Team
1	1:22.595	Lando Norris	  McLaren
2	1:22.804	Oscar Piastri	  McLaren
3	1:22.824	Carlos Sainz	  Ferrari
4	1:22.886	Nico Hulkenberg	  Haas
5	1:22.945	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing
6	1:22.984	Pierre Gasly	  Alpine
7	1:23.132	George Russell	  Mercedes
8	1:23.196	Fernando Alonso	  Aston Martin
9	1:23.204	Valtteri Bottas	  Sauber
10	1:23.264	Sergio Perez	  Red Bull Racing
______________________________________________________
11	1:23.419	Yuki Tsunoda	  RB
12	1:23.472	Liam Lawson	  RB
13	1:23.784	Lance Stroll	  Aston Martin
14	1:23.833	Charles Leclerc	  Ferrari
15	1:23.877	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
______________________________________________________
16	1:23.821	Alexander Albon	  Williams
17	1:23.880	Zhou Guanyu	  Sauber
18	1:23.887	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
19	1:23.912	Franco Colapinto  Williams
20	1:24.105	Jack Doohan	  Alpine

Charles Leclerc carries in a 10 place grid penalty into this race and will start at the rear of grid
Both Williams also have 5 place grid penalties and will start in positions 18 and 19.
Post qualifying, Nico Hulkenberg was also given a 3 place grid penalty for not following the race directors instructions when he passed cars while in the pit exit.

[cmlean]

Race

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Pos	Driver		  Team
1	Lando Norris	  McLaren
2	Carlos Sainz	  Ferrari
3	Charles Leclerc	  Ferrari
4	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
5	George Russell	  Mercedes
6	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing
7	Pierre Gasly	  Alpine
8	Nico Hulkenberg	  Haas
9	Fernando Alonso	  Aston Martin
10	Oscar Piastri	  McLaren
11	Alexander Albon	  Williams
12	Yuki Tsunoda	  RB
13	Zhou Guanyu	  Sauber
14	Lance Stroll	  Aston Martin
15	Jack Doohan	  Alpine
16	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
DNF	Liam Lawson	  RB
DNF	Valtteri Bottas	  Sauber
DNF	Franco Colapinto  Williams
DNF	Sergio Perez	  Red Bull Racing

[cmlean]

What a race to complete the 2024 season!
Carlos Sainz barely missed the start and Max Verstappen placed his Red Bull up the inside of the Ferrari preventing Sainz from turning in. Oscar Piastri was the next target and Max threw his Red Bull towards the apex with no chance of avoiding contact with the Piastri McLaren. Verstappen's right front made contact with Piastri's left rear with both cars then spinning out. Verstappen was towards the inside of the circuit and his car did a full 360 allowing him to continue on. Piastri was the unlucky one as he ended on the outside of the circuit with his car pointing towards the on coming traffic.
While this was going on, Charles Leclerc had the start of a lifetime. His start was perfection and had passed at least 3 cars before entering turn 1. He placed his Ferrari in the middle of the circuit as drivers scattered avoiding the Verstappen/Piastri incident leaving Leclerc a clear path through. The run towards turn 6 and Leclerc made a bold call to go around the outside as cars were all fighting for space on the inside. To assist Leclerc, Bottas made contact with Perez, turning him around in the middle of 6 and 7, again leaving Leclerc a run towards the top 10. Great Start!
From here, the chase was on but Lando Norris controlled the race from the front. Ferrari threw everything they had but all their efforts were repelled by the determined Norris.