Abu Dhabi GP driver ratings: Messy Verstappen as Norris lands final F1 2024 punch

Lando Norris cruised to a very straightforward and well deserved victory at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but he wasn’t the only one with a perfect race.

Let’s dig into the driver ratings for the final race of the Formula 1 2024 season.

Driver ratings for the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Lando Norris: 10

‘Perfect’ nearly feels like an understatement for Lando Norris this weekend. With the World Drivers’ Championship settled in Max Verstappen’s favour, the McLaren driver seems to have rediscovered his resolve and focus in this final race.

A perfect qualifying session was crowned with a perfect start; Norris launched off the line when the lights went out, and he never once looked back. He took another victory to cap off 2024, and he brought home the World Constructors’ Championship for McLaren in the process.

There wasn’t a better way for Norris to cap off this season.

Carlos Sainz, Jr: 9

In his final race with Ferrari, Carlos Sainz Jr. started third and finished second. The Spaniard was quiet throughout the race, keeping his nose clean, staying out of trouble, and managing his pace all day long.

He had one minor puncture scare near the end of the race, but it all turned out to be for naught: He brought home his Ferrari in style and can leave Ferrari on a high.

Charles Leclerc: 8.5

Our winner of Driver of the Day, Charles Leclerc was a man on a mission in Abu Dhabi after starting back in 19th thanks to a poor qualifying and 10-place grid penalty due to a component change. His third-place finish is as impressive as the fact that he made up a whopping 11 positions at the start of the race.

But it could have been so much more if his qualifying was better.

Lewis Hamilton: 8.5

Like Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton had a hugely impressive day. After running over a bollard ahead of his fast lap in Q1, the seven-time champion was knocked out of the running and started the race back in 16th position.

The odds were against him, but Hamilton nevertheless illustrated the talent that has made him a legend. On the first lap, Hamilton moved up four positions, then spent the race quietly picking off one car after another until, finally, he dispatched of Pierre Gasly and found himself tailing his teammate.

The 14-second gap to Russell admittedly seemed insurmountable, but Hamilton chopped down that distance every lap, finally making the pass for fourth on the final lap.

George Russell: 8

Abu Dhabi was a decent race for George Russell. The Mercedes driver started in sixth place and finished fifth, having some respectful battles with Pierre Gasly and teammate Hamilton along the way. However, it was largely an uninspired drive for a driver that should have been able to challenge a little harder for third.

Max Verstappen: 6.5

Ahead of the race, former racer Juan Pablo Montoya warned McLaren to watch out for the inevitable Max Verstappen dive-bomb — and, as predicted, it happened in the first corner. The World Champion darted to the inside of Oscar Piastri only to find that the door slammed shut in front of him. The two drivers made contact, with the stewards deeming Verstappen at fault.

With the title already wrapped up, Verstappen had nothing left to prove in 2024, but the fact that his first-corner dive has become notorious enough to be predictable is a signal that the Dutch racer still struggles ever so slightly with race craft.

After the lap one incident, he recovered well to finish sixth.

Pierre Gasly: 8.5

Pierre Gasly has seen a heartening return to form with Alpine as the 2024 season has neared a close, signaling that his Alpine team is finally providing the equipment Gasly needs to perform.

The Frenchman launched into third place on the second lap, taking advantage of the early chaos between Verstappen and Piastri, but he wasn’t quite able to hold onto it. Still, a seventh-place finish is more than promising enough for team that has struggled to score points in 2024 — especially considering he did well to keep Russell in his mirrors for much of the race.

Nico Hulkenberg: 7.5

Abu Dhabi was by no means Nico Hulkenberg’s most impressive race of  the 2024 season, but it certainly epitomised the hard-charging nature of the German racer’s incredible midfield drive. Hulkenberg truly brought the most out of Haas’ machinery this season, and his race day pace was still strong enough to bring home a handful of points.

Fernando Alonso: 7

If any driver can secure a points-paying finish with an Aston Martin, it’s Fernando Alonso. He had a decent finish in Abu Dhabi, closing out a rollercoaster of a season on a high — and he’s certainly going to be looking forward to the arrival of Adrian Newey at the team next year.

Oscar Piastri: 6

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was an uncharacteristically sloppy race from McLaren driver Oscar Piastri. The first-corner contact with Max Verstappen may not have been his fault, but Piastri was still hot under the collar as he rejoined the track.

When the field restarted after an early virtual safety car, Piastri then went on to make contact with the Williams of Franco Colapinto, then nearly lost control of his McLaren while trying to overtake Yuki Tsunoda on lap 46. It wasn’t the finest drive of his career.

More reactions from the final race of the F1 2024 season:

? Lando Norris issues eight-word warning to Max Verstappen in firm radio message

? Revealed: Lewis Hamilton’s final radio message to Mercedes before Ferrari exit

Alex Albon: 7

A fairly nondescript but promising day for Alex Albon didn’t result in any points, but the fact that the Williams driver who started in 18th had the pace to race into the top 10 for a while says a lot about the driver’s skill. Albon kept his nose clean and ended the season with a lot to be proud of.

Lance Stroll: 5

Lance Stroll had a strong start, managing to move up four positions (though that likely also had something to do with all those first-lap shenanigans…). He soon lost those positions. It was another race when Stroll was certainly ‘There’.

Yuki Tsunoda: 6

Yuki Tsunoda may very well have had a much better race if he’d had a better start. Alas, he faced clutch problems, which delayed him launching off the line and kept him on the back foot throughout the race.

The issue reoccurred in the pits, further hampering Tsunoda’s pace and his ability to score any final points to cap off 2024.

Zhou Guanyu: 5

Despite the fact that Sauber has seemed to discover a little bit of late-season pace, Zhou Guanyu wasn’t quite able to maximise on it. He dropped six places at the very start of the race and was never really able to make up any of the critical positions he’d have needed for a strong day.

With Bottas retiring early, Zhou was the team’s only hope for additional points in 2024. It wasn’t to be.

Jack Doohan: 6

Was Jack Doohan’s Formula 1 debut great? No. Was it terrible? Also no.

Alpine’s Aussie driver started and finished a Grand Prix without any notable incidents, largely just turning laps and staying out of the way. A nondescript foray into F1, yes — but better to be nondescript than to make headlines in all the wrong ways.

Kevin Magnussen: 6

Karma seemed to come back in full force for Kevin Magnussen in Abu Dhabi. In qualifying, the Danish driver accidentally knocked a bollard into the path of Lewis Hamilton, killing the momentum of the Mercedes driver’s fast lap.

In the race itself, Magnussen was speared by Valtteri Bottas, whose brakes locked up as the Haas driver attempted to overtake him. Magnussen was able to continue, but without much success.

Did not finish

Liam Lawson: 5.5

A difficult day for Liam Lawson was made all the worse when his team failed to secure his left front wheel during a pit stop. He ended the race smoking on the side of the road, without even seeing the checkered flag.

Valtteri Bottas: 6.5

One of several drivers staring down the barrel of their final race in Formula 1, Valtteri Bottas’ top-10 start eroded almost immediately. The Sauber driver made contact with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez on the first lap, earning himself a 10-second penalty and kicking off the retirement of the other driver.

Then, on Lap 31, Bottas suffered a massive lockup. Unfortunately, that lockup came just as Kevin Magnussen attempted to remain wide in passing the Sauber; the green car ended up spearing the left rear side of the Haas. It was an early retirement for Bottas.

Franco Colapinto: 6.5

On the formation lap, Franco Colapinto radioed his Williams team to thank them for helping make his dream of racing in Formula 1 come true. That dream sadly came to an end well before the checkered flag, when Colapinto was instructed to pull into the pits and retire the car.

Sadly, the Argentine racer suffered some damage after McLaren’s Oscar Piastri made heavy contact with his rear. Colapinto suffered a puncture and had to pit. He circulated a handful of laps near the rear of the grid, but that was it. Race over.

Sergio Perez: 6

Oh, Sergio Perez. The Red Bull driver has needed a good weekend since the checkered flag flew in Monaco, and it just hasn’t happened. A miracle in Abu Dhabi may not have been enough to salvage his career, but that miracle didn’t come.

Instead, after some contact with Valtteri Bottas, Perez spun, lost drive, and stopped on the track on the very first lap.

The rumours about Perez’s future that have been swirling for months will only escalate from here, which was the last thing the driver would have wanted heading into the off season.

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