The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix holds a special place in the 2024 F1 season. It is the grand finale, featuring an astonishing 24 races. Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen has already clinched the 2024 Drivers' title, yet the battle for the 2024 Constructors' title rages on, with McLaren taking the lead.

Uncover the Drama of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The History and Venue

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been a staple since 2009, taking place at the Hermann Tilke-designed Yas Marina Circuit. In 2021, minor layout changes were made to enhance the action. These alterations have increased overtaking opportunities and elevated speeds and loads through certain corners. The circuit's close walls make mistakes costly, leading to frequent Safety Car or red flag incidents. Measuring 3.3 miles, it has a relatively smooth surface with a majority of flowing, high-speed corners, resulting in low tire stress.Pirelli has selected its three softest compounds, the C3, C4, and C5, and drivers typically adopt a two-stop strategy.

The Weekend's Weather and Challenges

The weather forecast predicts dry and warm conditions throughout the weekend. However, similar to other Middle Eastern races, the Abu Dhabi race starts at twilight and continues into the night to avoid the midday heat. This presents a unique challenge for engineers and drivers as they need to adapt to the varying ambient and track temperatures, which can significantly impact tire and car behavior.

The Championship Standings

Heading into Saturday's qualifying session and Sunday's race, Max Verstappen leads the 2024 Drivers' Championship with an impressive 429 points. McLaren's Lando Norris is a close second with 349 points, and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is third with 341 points. In the Constructors' Championship, McLaren holds the lead with 640 points, Ferrari is second with 619 points, and Red Bull is third with 581 points.As the season comes to a close, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have been dismissed from Sauber. Franco Colapinto's temporary seat at Williams will be taken over by Carlos Sainz next season. Liam Lawson's 2025 seat remains uncertain, but he is expected to either retain his current position at RB or replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton, who has won six of his seven world titles with Mercedes power units, will bid farewell to his Mercedes-Benz AMG team and join Ferrari next season. His replacement at Mercedes will be newcomer Andrea Kimi Antonelli.