The 2024 F1 Constructors' Championship has been one of, if not the most exciting the sport has seen for the past 15 years. The back and forth between McLaren and Ferrari has culminated in just a 21-point gap between the teams heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
As such, for the first time since 2009 — when Brawn GP stunned the world — a team not named Mercedes-Benz or Red Bull will see their brand etched onto the trophy come Sunday.
McLaren (who granted are Mercedes-powered) head into the night race at the Yas Marina Circuit with a lead that was significantly eaten into just a week earlier in Qatar. Lando Norris’ last gasp and utterly brutal 10-second stop-and-go penalty cost the Woking-based outfit a likely second-place finish. The controversial call may have cost Norris a 13th podium of the season, but in an attempt to focus on the positives for McLaren, it did at least promote teammate Oscar Piastri to third.
Meanwhile, the penalty will have felt like birthday and Christmas gifts wrapped in one for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz raking in another 26 points for the Scuderia. The Monegasque's 18 points also narrowed his gap to Norris in the race for runner-up in the driver standings to just eight — not the result either driver will likely be too phased about, but an accomplishment nonetheless.
Unfortunately for Ferrari, history favors the Mercedes-powered McLaren under the bright lights in Abu Dhabi. In 15 races at the circuit, a prancing horse-powered car has yet to finish higher than second — a feat that they have achieved for two years on the trot.
All in all, Red Bull has claimed seven wins at the track powered three times by Renault and four by Honda, while the Silver Arrows have six wins to their name, and both McLaren-Mercedes and Lotus-Renault (now Alpine) have finished on the top spot once.
There are multiple ways in which McLaren could seal the deal in Abu Dhabi — the simplest being winning the race and thus guaranteeing the team 25 points. Ultimately, 24 points or more from Norris and Piastri would be enough to ensure they win regardless of how Leclerc and Sainz perform, as per F1.
Of course, if the wheels metaphorically fall off for Ferrari in Abu Dhabi, a title win could be finalized for McLaren with fewer points. Conversely, should the McLarens have a weekend to forget and not score a single point, Ferrari would need to total at least 22 points to be crowned champions.
Should Norris and Piastri secure a championship for McLaren, it would mark the first for the team in either of their drivers’ lifetimes — with their most recent having come in 1998 thanks to Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen. Furthermore, this prospective ninth title would bring them level with Williams for the second most in F1 history.
A win for Ferrari would be their 17th to date and their first since 2008, secured by Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa.
If this wasn’t enough trivial trivia knowledge for F1 fans — regardless of whether McLaren or Ferrari wins the crown, the victor will also be only the third team to accomplish this feat since 2000 without having also won the driver championship that same season.
