Lando Norris ends the year as world champion. Joy and rapture. Tears in his eyes.
However, he was not entirely free from reproaches and spoke about how difficult it was against Max Verstappen, about how he had learned from the bitter experience of the battle between the drivers.
But forget that for now: here he was a champion as the fireworks lit up the Abu Dhabi sky.
Norris was also the one who made this possible. He drove impeccably from the front, a model of calm in a sea of danger, to lead McLaren to the constructors’ title for the first time this century.
Zak Brown, the team’s American CEO, admitted beforehand that he was nervous. He’s been sick of it for months. He said a while ago that if someone told him the match was already over, he would punch them in the nose. That was months ago.
And that’s why relief tumbled onto the pit wall when Norris came home first, which he had to do because his teammate Oscar Piastri was unexpectedly erratic.
Lando Norris celebrates after winning the Abu Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit
McLaren’s Norris drove to victory during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon
Norris never looked in danger after starting on pole and sealing the Constructors’ Championship
McLaren chief Zak Brown (left) expressed relief after ‘the worst two hours of his life’
“Next year will be my year too,” Norris promised.
But for now it is the first time since 1998 that the silver trophy has gone to Surrey. This is McLaren’s ninth constructors’ title, putting them level with Williams and only behind Ferrari in 16th place.
The legend who said goodbye to Mercedes, a certain Lewis Hamilton, won a driver’s title at McLaren but not the team prize.
However, it wasn’t easy, thanks to a chaotic start. You would have thought that both McLarens – Norris starting on pole and Piastri second – would have played it safe as they brought a 21-point lead into this decider. No complications, no wheel-to-wheel heroics, thanks.
Max Verstappen thought that too. So the Dutchman tore down the inside of the first corner expecting Piastri to give in. Heavens, he didn’t give in, the stubborn Australian!
They both went off track and lost ground. Verstappen fell back to eleventh place; Piastri to the back. Verstappen was hasty, yes, without any doubt. But why not let him through and save the palpitations of everyone on your team?
Norris was up front and strong, but if something went wrong for him, could Ferrari’s duo of Carlos Sainz, who finished second, and Charles Leclerc, who made good progress after starting 19th, close the gap?
“Yes, the move of a world champion,” Piastri said sarcastically about Verstappen’s bullish effort.
Oscar Piastri (left) and Max Verstappen (right) took off after a collision on the first lap of the race
Verstappen was able to recover quickly while Piastri was left at the back of the field
McLaren defeated Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship after losing the last race
Verstappen disagreed and claimed with some bias: ‘Bad luck, I was all the way inside before the crash.’
The stewards disagreed and gave the world champion a 10-second penalty. ‘Can we ask for 20 seconds? Stupid idiots,” Verstappen continued, a reference to his draconian sentence in Mexico in October.
After the race, after finishing sixth, Verstappen was still dissatisfied. Two penalty points were added to his driver’s license. He joked that he would aim for more so he could take “paternity leave” when his first child with girlfriend Kelly Piquet arrives.
Anyway, Piastri seemed a little confused by the impact and drove into the back of Franco Colapinto’s Williams, causing the Argentine to get a puncture. This mistake earned Piastri himself a 10-second penalty.
McLaren people were all counting on Norris to get the job done and win his fourth race of the year. The Bahraini royal family, owners of the British-registered team, were here in abundance, led by the Crown Prince.
They were involved when Hamilton won the Drivers’ title in 2008 and had waited a long time and spent a lot of money to witness a return to the top plinth.
When it was over, the Crown Prince flew the team to Bahrain – a 1 hour and 15 minute drive – for the party.
“I felt sick,” he told Mail Sport of his emotions as the race unfolded.
Lewis Hamilton produced a brilliant drive to finish fourth after starting again in 16th
Norris looked strong. However, Sainz kept him honest. Leclerc kept driving through, his car fast, his driving impressive. The Monegasque only started so far back because he exceeded the track limits in qualifying (oh dear) and took a new battery which resulted in a fine.
Piastri went in ninth for his stop, served his penalty and re-emerged fifteenth, but well on the hunt for a handful of points.
Leclerc was in third place when he asked: ‘If it is like this, will we lose the constructors?’
He was told, ‘Yes, but it’s not over yet. Keep pushing.”
It wasn’t supposed to be for them.
They finished in second and third place. The £150 million premium will go to McLaren, which was on the brink of bankruptcy in 2020, the year in which Covid bit the deepest. Thanks to Brown and his fantastic team boss Andrea Stella, whose clear thinking is evident every time he speaks.
As for Hamilton’s farewell to Mercedes, it was a day of partial success and no dishonor – and a final flourish. He started 16th after a bollard fell under his car during qualifying. He started in a unique way on hard tires and stuck with it after a good start.
With 15 laps to go he was 14 seconds behind teammate George Russell, one place ahead of him in fourth. “Fourteen seconds!” Hamilton exclaimed.
Lewis Hamilton signed off in style from Mercedes with a great drive prior to his switch to Ferrari
“You can do it,” Toto urged Wolff from the garage.
Hamilton made rapid progress and came within 1.5 seconds of Russell with three laps to go. “Saying the obvious, but keep it super clean with Lewis,” instructed Wolff, who did not want a disastrous ending for their greatest champion on the way to Ferrari.
On the last lap Hamilton passed Russell, who perhaps had not put up the strongest defense of his career. Russell punched the old boy after they crossed the line. Fourth place and out for Hamilton after twelve mostly golden seasons in silver.
“Lewis, that was the drive of a world champion,” Wolff said.
Hamilton replied, in full Neil Armstrong mode: “We dreamed a lot, but together we believed. What started as a leap into the deep grew into a journey through the history books.’
Hamilton did some donuts, parked, bent down and kissed his often annoying car. And now the future is red.