The final race of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship has concluded a steady-paced season for Charles Leclerc and Scuderia Ferrari. The Monegasque driver achieved his 13th podium finish of the year, which included wins in Monaco, Monza and Austin, securing the 27-year-old a well-deserved third place in the Drivers’ Championship and helping his team to second place in the Constructors’ standings.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 8th December brought a conclusive end to the 2024 season. Compared to previous years, which were largely dominated by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the 24 races held on iconic tracks and street circuits around the world produced seven different winners, including Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc secured an impressive three victories, two of which were particularly personal: one at his home race in Monaco and another on Ferrari’s home track at Monza. Verstappen, who claimed his fourth consecutive championship title in 2024, achieved a total of 11 victories, while McLaren’s Lando Norris earned four, securing his second place in the Drivers’ Standings.
See more: F1: Charles Leclerc brings home the win at the Monaco Grand Prix
Leclerc was not far behind, scoring 356 points compared to Norris’s 374. In the Constructors’ standings, Ferrari ultimately had to settle for second place behind McLaren, with 652 points to the English team’s 666.
In the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix itself, Leclerc fought hard to make it into the top three, despite being handed a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding his season’s allocation of power unit components.
He started the race from P19 but stormed through the grid on the opening lap, gaining an incredible 11 places to reach P8.
Over the next 20 laps, he gradually improved to fourth before pitting for a set of hard tyres. Rejoining the race in eighth on Lap 20, he continued his campaign and eventually climbed to third by Lap 34. From that point, the order at the top remained unchanged.
Norris, who led the race from the start, crossed the line in P1, followed by Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz in second. In light of his momentous surge through the grid to P3, Leclerc was voted Driver of the Day by watching fans.
Abu Dhabi was Sainz’s final race for Ferrari before moving to Williams for the 2025 season. During his four years with the team, the Spaniard achieved four wins, six pole positions, 25 podiums, and 900.5 points. One of his standout victories was at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, just weeks after undergoing emergency surgery for appendicitis.
He will be replaced at Ferrari by Lewis Hamilton, who is leaving Mercedes after 12 seasons with the team.
See more: F1: Lewis Hamilton will join Charles Leclerc at Ferrari in 2025
Speaking after the race at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, Leclerc said, “Even though the race itself was incredible, we fell short of our main objective of winning the Constructors’ title… Looking at next year, I hope that we can start the season off with a really strong car. This is probably where we missed out this year, coming back strong in the second half of the season, which is where we made a big impact thanks to the incredible work of everyone back in our factory who created the upgrades which let us perform the way we have. This gives me confidence for the future, and I really look forward to being back on track in 2025. A big thank you to the whole team that has made this season possible.”
Leclerc also shared some heartfelt words about his outgoing teammate, adding, “Speaking about Carlos, it has been incredible to share the team with him for four seasons. We pushed each other to new heights and moved the team forward positively, always keeping respect for each other. That we are here today, missing out on the world title by 14 points, is also thanks to his contribution. I wish him all the best and look forward to seeing what he will do in the future.”
Leclerc will now participate in end-of-season testing on Tuesday 10th December, formally marking the end of track action for 2024. He will drive his SF-24, while Antonio Fuoco and Leclerc’s younger brother, Arthur, will also be testing.
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Photos source: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre
