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Tyres NorthamptonMcLaren and Ferrari are the teams vying to join Max Verstappen as a 2024 title winner and end their long waits since they last finished top of the F1 pile.
Red Bull Racing lost their chance of the title in Qatar, and most of the attention on the reigning champions has shifted to Sergio Perez's future. The Mexican driver's lacklustre season has cost the Milton Keynes team dearly in the standings, meaning millions of lost prize money. F1's 2024 may be coming to a close, but plenty of stories still need resolving.
Keeping an eye on where the two McLaren drivers finish in comparison to Ferrari's duo is the primary focal point for this Abu Dhabi GP. Victory is of secondary importance to McLaren, who can become champions if they simply finish ahead of Ferrari on track. The title can still head to Woking even if they finish behind the Italians, as long as the Scuderia don't gain 21 more points than McLaren. Expect the TV graphics to keep you updated throughout Sunday's race for how the battle pans out.
There's a new name joining F1, too. Alpine released Esteban Ocon after last week's Qatar GP and will welcome Australian rookie Jack Doohan to the cockpit. Doohan already had a contract to replace Ocon for 2025 but will now debut in 2024, joining Ollie Bearman and Franco Colapinto as mid-season replacements. There's immediate pressure on Doohan to deliver, too, with Alpine only five points ahead of Haas in the World Constructors' Championship.
More unfamiliar names will join Doohan on Friday, too. 2024's final FP1 session will see a host of teams fulfilling their obligation to field rookie drivers in Free Practice. Charles Leclerc and his brother Arthur Leclerc will make history as the first siblings to drive as teammates in an F1 session. McLaren's Ryo Hirakawa, Aston Martin's Felipe Drugovich, Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, VCARB's Ayumu Iwasa, and Williams' Luke Browning are the other rookie drivers joining Friday's opening hour.
Abu Dhabi has Pirelli's softest tyre trio over the weekend, meaning the C3, C4, and C5 compounds will feature. The Yas Marina Circuit's low-grip nature and few high-speed corners mean the drivers will enjoy the fastest rubber selection from the Italian manufacturer's inventory to compensate for the track.
Further tyre running will follow the chequered flag, too, with Abu Dhabi hosting the traditional end-of-year test day on Tuesday 10th. 10 Rookie drivers will run the 2024 tyres, while each team's other 'regular' driver will have 2025's tyres to choose from, including an all-new C6 compound
The top six drivers have all scored a victory in the previous seven rounds, showing how impossible it is to predict a victor in 2024. Might McLaren seal the championship with a Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri win, or could it be Ferrari celebrating if Carlos Sainz or teammate Leclerc cross the line in P1? Neither constructor needs a P1 finish to get the title, but standing with the winner's trophy is undoubtedly the best way to take the crown.
Verstappen has secured four consecutive top-step finishes at Yas Marina, and he'd make it 10 wins for 2024 if he can sneak in another triumph on Sunday. He hasn't had the fastest car since before the summer break, yet boasts two late-season victories, including his spectacular Sao Paulo GP drive from P17. It's also the last chance for Perez to join his 'big four' peer group and enter the 2024 winner's list, but that would be quite a surprise given the Mexican's recent form.
Never count out Mercedes, who drove to an excellent 1-2 finish in Las Vegas just a fortnight ago, either. George Russell is preparing to be the lead driver for the Silver Arrows for 2025 and is in impressive form, particularly in Qualifying. Yet, despite Russell's recent results, Lewis Hamilton is the driver who secured the team so many titles and would be the romantic victory in Abu Dhabi. On Sunday, the seven-time champion will end over a decade of driving for the Mercedes team and an F1 career powered solely by Mercedes engines. Might Hamilton have one final trick up his sleeve before joining Ferrari?
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F1's only day-to-night race has early-afternoon start times for British viewers, with the race's lights out at 1 PM on Sunday and Saturday's Qualifying session coming at 2 PM.
Qualifying – On air: 1:15 PM, Session start: 2 PM Saturday 7th December
Race – On air: 11:30 PM, Session start: 1 PM Sunday 8th December
Qualifying – Highlights: 5:45 PM Saturday 7th December
Race – Highlights: 5:30 PM Sunday 8th December
Qualifying/Race – Storm Darragh might be ready to ruin any outdoor plans you have, but the weather in Abu Dhabi is set for clear, sunny days and temperatures in the mid-20°C region for Qualifying and the race.