After 23 races, Formula 1 has reached the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
The constructors’ championship has gone down to the wire, with the outcome of Sunday’s grand prix set to crown either McLaren or Ferrari as the winners who will take away an estimated $140 million (£106m) in prize money.
The weekend will see an emotional finale for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes before his move to Ferrari for 2025. Similarly, Carlos Sainz will celebrate his last race with Ferrari before he joins Williams in 2025. Esteban Ocon unknowingly took part in his last race for Alpine in Qatar as he is replaced by rookie Jack Doohan this weekend.
Finally, a handful of drivers are departing F1 at the end of the season, including Kevin Magnussen at Haas, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu at Sauber, while sources have told ESPN that Sergio Pérez will leave Red Bull at the end of the season.
The forecast at Yas Marina is set to be hot and settled with high temperatures of 29°C and lows of 16°C.
Who will win the constructors championship?
As current leaders of the championship by 21 points, McLaren are the most favourable for the title. With a maximum of 44 points on offer on Sunday (first, second and fastest lap), for Ferrari to win the title they must take a race one-two and hope McLaren either fail to score or finish with at least one car sixth or below.
Standings | Calendar | Teams
Latest news
Pérez is set to leave Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season, sources have told ESPN.
F1 could expand to 12 teams now that General Motors brand Cadillac has been accepted to join the grid from 2026, according to the FIA president.
Alpine’s Ocon has been replaced by Doohan for Abu Dhabi. Ocon insisted “this is not how I want things to end.”
Hamilton’s struggles at Mercedes are not giving his future employers Ferrari any concern, according to team boss Fred Vasseur.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has told drivers to mind their own business after they asked where money from race fines was going and why senior figures had left the governing body.
Circuit stats and history
In 2006, Yas Island, next to the city of Abu Dhabi, was developed from a blank canvas, with the ambition of having a racing circuit firmly on the roadmap. Three years later, at a reported cost of $1.32 billion, Yas Marina Circuit joined the F1 calendar and has hosted grands prix every year since.
The circuit has hosted more season finales than any other in F1 history, with tense championship showdowns in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2021, and it is contracted to continue as the final race until 2030.
Laps: 58 laps of 5.2km. Total distance 306km.
Lap record: 1:26.103, Verstappen (2021)
Most wins: Hamilton with six (2011, 2014, 2016, 2018-2019). Of the current grid, Valtteri Bottas (2017), and Verstappen (2020-2023) have won here.
Most poles: Hamilton with five (2009, 2012, 2016, 2018-2019). Of the current grid, Bottas (2017), and Verstappen (2020-2023) have taken pole here.
What happened last year?
Verstappen secured his 19th victory of the year at the season finale, capping the most dominant season by any driver in the sport‘s history. George Russell finished runner-up with Charles Leclerc rounding off the podium as Mercedes kept Ferrari three points at bay to secure second place in the constructors’ championship.
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Sergio Perez ‘very likely’ to leave Red Bull
ESPN’s Nate Saunders says it’s “very likely” that Sergio Perez will leave Red Bull at the conclusion of this year’s championship.
Who’s going to win?
Strange things happen at the final race of a season when a title is on the line, and cases could be made for McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull or Mercedes coming out victorious in Abu Dhabi.
Although Red Bull and Mercedes have shared victories at the last three races, their performances from session to session have been sporadic, whereas Ferrari and McLaren have been more stable and have cars that should be better suited to the Yas Marina layout.
However, the pressure of the title fight for Ferrari and McLaren could lead to mistakes, meaning Verstappen is our pick to take advantage of the tension in the constructors’ championship and secure his tenth victory of his championship-winning season.
How to watch the GP
Watch on ESPNEWS and ESPN+ (U.S. only) — view the schedule.
Live broadcast coverage in the U.K. is on Sky Sports F1 and BBC Radio 5 Live.
For news, analysis and updates, follow the coverage with ESPN’s F1 team Nate Saunders and Laurence Edmondson at Yas Marina and on social media.
Friday
Free practice one: 09:30-10:30 GMT
Free practice two: 13:00-14:00 GMT
Saturday
Free practice three: 10:30-11:30 GMT
Qualifying: 14:00-15:00 GMT
Sunday
Race starts: 13:00 GMT.
