4.
2:09 p.m
McLaren
Overtaking maneuver by Lando Norris
At McLaren there is a swap of places. Lando Norris takes over third place from Oscar Piastri and will now try to get past Leclerc. He now seems to be permanently out of the DRS second to Verstappen.
3.
2:08 p.m
Hülkenberg continues to lose
For Nico Hülkenberg, however, things don’t go according to plan. He loses more places and is now only 14th. So it will be a long road to the points position again today.
3.
2:07 p.m
McLaren in waiting position
It remains exciting in Abu Dhabi and Verstappen can’t leave that easily. Leclerc keeps getting closer. He has the two McLarens and Russell in his slipstream.
2.
2:05 p.m
Verstappen with an advantage
But now things are developing in Verstappen’s favor. The Dutchman continues to pull away and is now more than a second ahead of Leclerc. Piastri and Norris rank behind.
1.
2:05 p.m
Leclerc wants to take advantage of the opportunity!
Charles Leclerc won’t let the leader get away that easily! He puts a lot of pressure on Verstappen in the next corners, keeps pushing and wants to take advantage of his chance on the first lap.
1.
2:04 p.m
Hülkenberg is passed through
Hülkenberg is passed through at the start and has lost four places. Now he is only twelfth.
1.
2:04 p.m
Start race
The traffic lights are out, the last race of a long season has started! Max Verstappen Max Verstappen has no problems at the front, gets off great and stays in first place going into the first corner. Behind him, Lando Norris rushes past Russell and is fourth.
2:02 p.m
Not for long
The first cars return to the starting grid. Now it won’t be long until it starts!
2:00 p.m
It’s time for the introductory round
For the last time this season, the field goes into the introductory round. The majority of the field opted for the medium tire in the final race. Stroll, Sainz and Bottas are on the tough mix.
13:57
The weather
It is still light in Abu Dhabi. The sun will then lower as the race progresses. Before the start, the track temperature is currently 34 degrees, while the air temperature is 27 degrees. Rain is not expected.
13:51
The route
The Yas Marina Circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke and the first race took place in 2009. As part of a renovation in 2021, the route length was reduced to 5.281 kilometers. This shortening resulted from the adjustment of curves 5 and 9, which now have to do without the two chicanes. In addition, some curve radii in the third sector have been made more generous.
13:48
Hülkenberg out of the top ten
Nico Hülkenberg, on the other hand, is likely to continue to cause worry lines for the Haas team. The German is driving with the old specification and it’s going really well at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. He was even able to place eighth in qualifying. However, the Achilles heel is likely to continue to be the race. Kevin Magnussen, who is driving with the Austin upgrade, is only 17.
13:44
Tsunoda AlphaTauri Hope
AlphaTauri’s great hope in the fight for seventh place in the constructors’ championship today will be Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese took sixth place in qualifying behind Lando Norris. For him today it’s about picking up as many points as possible in order to challenge Williams’ position seven. For Daniel Ricciardo, the task of scoring points is likely to be more difficult as he has to start from 15th place behind Alex Albon in the Williams. Logan Sargeant is likely to be frustrated. The American, who is still fighting for his place in 2024, did well in qualifying, but did not manage to complete a valid lap after violating track limits and is therefore only last.
13:38
Leclerc next to Verstappen
Charles Leclerc will start alongside Verstappen on the front row, giving him a good chance of securing second place for his team today. However, George Russell is just lurking close behind in the best Mercedes. Only Oscar Piastri separates the two drivers. The respective teammates are starting the race from further back: Lewis Hamilton starts from eleventh place, while Carlos Sainz is just 16th on the starting grid after a botched qualifying.
13:32
Many open battles in the constructors’ championship
The final score in the constructors’ championship is not only important for honor, because it also determines how much prize money each team receives. Winning or losing a spot can be as much as $10 million, and that has a significant impact on next season’s budget. Only Red Bull and Alpine are already secure in their first and sixth places, while Mercedes and Ferrari are fighting for second place, separated by only four points. McLaren is in fourth place, eleven points ahead of Aston Martin, and four teams are fighting for the final four places. So there is a lot of explosive material here too.
13:27
Verstappen from pole
Max Verstappen didn’t have an easy start to the final weekend of the season, but just in time for qualifying everything seemed to be right in his car and the Dutchman prevailed in the fight for pole position. This gives him the best chance of getting his 19th win of the season and 54th win of his career, which would put him over Sebastian Vettel in the all-time best list.
13:22
Welcome!
It’s all set for the grand finale of Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi. The drivers’ and constructors’ titles have been taken, but the places behind them are still exciting. The race starts at 2:00 p.m.