Abu Dhabi F1: Lando Norris wins final race of season to clinch constructors' title for McLaren

British driver victorious in UAE capital ahead of Ferrari pair of Sainz and Leclerc

McLaren driver Lando Norris on the podium after winning the Abu Dhabi GP at Yas Marina Circuit. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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Lando Norris secured victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, garnering the constructors' title for his team McLaren and the runner-up spot in the drivers' championship in the process.

The British driver led from the start, avoiding the collisions and barging among some of the other drivers when the lights went green, which caused chaos right from the off.

The pressure was all on Norris as his teammate Oscar Piastri was sent spinning to the back of the grid following one of those early nudges with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Second-placed Carlos Sainz chased the lead car doggedly in a bid to give his Ferrari team a fighting chance in the constructors' championship, but Norris looked safe through much of the race. Sainz's teammate Charles Leclerc took third.

Verstappen already had the drivers' title in the bag, but never looked likely to trouble the podium, particularly after the early knock with Piastri that saw the Red Bull driver given a 10-second penalty.

Lewis Hamilton weaved his way through the field to climb from 16th to take fourth in his final drive with Mercedes ahead of his switch to Ferrari.

The winners' podium, from left, Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, McLaren driver Lando Norris, McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. All pictures by Chris Whiteoak / The National

McLaren driver Lando Norris wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown lifts the constructors' trophy in the F1 at Yas Marina Circuit after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The drivers line up for the race at Yas Marina Circuit.

Action on the track at the Abu Dhabi GP.

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton and Kick Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas during the drivers' parade.

Amna Al Qubaisi competes in the F1 Academy race at Yas Marina Circuit.

Mercedes driver George Russell arrives at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Hamda Al Qubaisi competes in the F1 Academy race.

Fans watch the racing at Yas Marina Circuit.

French-Algerian driver Isack Hadjar during the Formula 2 race at Yas Marina Circuit.

Fans watch the racing at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Isack Hadjar in the Formula 2 race.

Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell take part in a pre-race photo call at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Drivers line up for a pre-race photo at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Fans watch the racing at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Mercedes driver George Russell fist bumps Williams driver Franco Colapinto.

Drivers take part in a photo on the track at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

McLaren driver Lando Norris chats with Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen.

Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez.

Fans watch the racing at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Earlier in the weekend, Norris seemed sanguine, despite solid performances from both himself, Piastri and the team as a whole. The Briton was visibly delighted by his win at the Yas Marina Circuit.

“It feels incredible,” he said immediately after the race. “Not for myself but for the whole team. They’ve done an amazing job this year to come from where we were at the beginning.”

Norris said he was proud of the team and the journey they had taken to get to this point.

“To end the season like this is perfect,” he said.

The feeling in the McLaren camp – as they celebrated wildly and not for the first time this weekend – was summed up by team CEO Zak Brown who said over the team radio as Norris crossed the line: “That was simply lovely.”

Sainz tried his best to keep Ferrari's hopes alive in the constructors' championship, but Norris held his nerve.

During his last message on the team radio, the Spaniard poignantly said: "Thank you Ferrari. It's been a pleasure driving for you guys. Forza Ferrari."

Sainz openly showed his dejection as he drank water with his head held low after the race.

His disappointment cannot have been in connection with his teammate who showed incredible tenacity.

Leclerc put in a storming performance – having started second-to-last on the grid, he fought his way past almost the entire field for his podium finish.

One can only wonder what might have happened if the driver had started the race without his 10-place penalty.

After the race, Leclerc talked of his sadness at the departure of Sainz, who will be joining Williams, and how their pairing had been good for them as drivers and for the team as a whole.

“We’ve had an amazing relationship,” he said. “We’ve pushed each other."

Hamilton, meanwhile, managed a fourth placing following a gutsy drive. Team radio messages suggested both he and his crew thought third position was in his grasp, but, in his last race for Mercedes, it was not to be.

However, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff lauded his effort. "Lewis, that was the drive of a world champion," Wolff said.

Hamilton showed no signs of disappointment though, working his way round the tarmac after the race, congratulating the other drivers.

Hamilton’s teammate George Russell came in fifth, followed by championship winner Verstappen.

A decent drive from Pierre Gasly in the Alpine saw him take seventh place, followed by Haas’s Niko Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin and Norris’s teammate Piastri.

There was some concern among the spectators about what was likely to happen over the course of the race.

The start was properly chaotic – Verstappen tried to tear up the inside of Piastri right from the off, nudging into the McLaren. Predictably, this sent both vehicles spinning off the track.

The Dutchman earned a 10-second penalty for that manoeuvre which caused Norris’s McLaren teammate to drop to last.

Piastri himself then accidentally ran into the back of Franco Colapinto in the Williams, earning his own 10-second penalty.