Lando Norris Wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Mclaren Seal Constructors’ Title | Formula 1 News

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Lando Norris Wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Mclaren Seal Constructors’ Title | Formula 1 News
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Lando Norris coolly claimed victory in a tense, emotional and incident-filled Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday to ship McLaren’s first constructors’ championship in 26 years as Lewis Hamilton completed a outstanding fourth in his last race for Mercedes. The 25-year-old Norris got here residence 5.832 seconds forward of Carlos Sainz and his team-mate Charles Leclerc to finish Ferrari’s title problem on an evening of accidents, penalties and tantrums beneath the floodlights on the Yas Marina Circuit. “Papaya on top!” stated Norris on his slowdown lap after the season-closing race.

“Congrats to everyone. Incredible. So proud of you all. You all deserve this. It’s been a special one. Next year is going to be my year too.”

McLaren had not received the groups’ title since 1998, the yr earlier than Norris was born, and began the day with a lead of 21 factors and a entrance row lockout, however noticed Oscar Piastri despatched spinning in a conflict with newly-crowned four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull on the first nook.

This inspired Ferrari, with Leclerc beginning nineteenth on the grid, and so they mounted a defiant if useless bid for glory, ending second and third forward of Hamilton, who handed team-mate George Russell on the ultimate lap.

Russell got here residence fifth forward of Verstappen, who was one in all a number of drivers to be handed a ten second penalty for his crash into Piastri, and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly with Nico Hulkenberg taking eighth for Haas.

Fernando Alonso was ninth for Aston Martin and Piastri, after a battling drive, tenth within the second McLaren.

‘Stupid idiots’

In scorching, dry and clear situations, Norris made a clear begin from his eighth pole of the yr to guide into Turn One the place Verstappen attacked Piastri on the within and made contact together with his automobile to ship each spinning.

Piastri waited to rejoin in twentieth and final, however Verstappen squeezed again into eleventh as team-mate Sergio Perez’s depressing season concluded with a spin out at Turn Six after contact with Valtteri Bottas’s Sauber.

Leclerc, with a scintillating surge on the opening lap, rose from nineteenth to eighth.

Verstappen was given a 10-second penalty for his ‘dive bomb’ transfer on Piastri, who reported “yep, move of a world champion there” on McLaren crew radio.

After a short Safety Car intervention, Piastri hit the rear of Franco Colapinto’s Williams, forcing the Argentine to pit with a puncture. Piastri additionally pitted for recent hards earlier than being given a 10-second penalty, as was Bottas for his half in ending Perez’s race.

At the entrance, Norris led Sainz by 2.7 seconds forward of Gasly and Russell as Leclerc climbed to sixth by lap 10 when Hamilton, having began sixteenth as the one man on hards, was as much as twelfth. For Norris, understanding a win was important for McLaren, the stress was on.

Haas started the pit stops on lap 12 with others following to elevate Hamilton to fifth on lap 21.

Sainz pitted from second in 2.2 seconds after 26 laps, gifting Norris a lead of 26.2 earlier than he pitted, forward of Russell, and rejoined with a one second benefit over the Spaniard. Verstappen, but to cease, was third earlier than pitting, taking his penalty and rising eleventh.

“Could we ask for 20 seconds?” requested Verstappen with sarcastic venom. “Stupid idiots.”

Bottas and Magnussen, a duo of their probably last F1 races, then collided on lap 31.

“Isn’t that just great?” stated the Dane. He pitted and rejoined on softs whereas the Finn retired.

‘Lewis, it is hammer time’

On lap 34, Hamilton, dreaming of a podium, lastly pitted from third for his mediums, taking seventh forward of Alonso and Verstappen, a trio of 13 title wins. Norris led Sainz by 3.2 seconds with Leclerc third.

With 20 laps to go, Hamilton’s race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, for the ultimate time, informed his driver “Lewis, it’s hammer time”. Hamilton requested for the hole time and was informed 14 seconds. “You can do it,” chimed in his crew chief Wolff earlier than he took Gasly for fifth.

At the entrance, Norris was the embodiment of cool, 5.9 away from Sainz and managing his race with indifferent precision regardless of struggling in ‘soiled air’ as he lapped many of the discipline, together with Piastri within the last laps, when Hamilton closed inside a second. of Russell earlier than snatching fourth.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)

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