Lando Norris delivered. And it was fist pumps all round and deep breaths exhaled and bear hugs exchanged – McLaren were world constructors’ champions for the first time this century.
Zak Brown, the American chief executive, admitted to nerves beforehand. He has been a bag of them for months now. Once he told me that if anyone suggested that the Woking-based team had the contest wrapped up, he’d punch them on the nose. That was as long ago as August.
And that’s why the relief tumbled out on the pit wall when Norris came home first under the floodlights in Abu Dhabi’s early evening, which he had to because his team-mate Oscar Piastri was as erratic as a mad professor.
Anyway, for the first time since 1998, the silver trophy is heading to Surrey. It is their ninth constructors’ title, level with Williams and behind only Ferrari, on 16.
It was not straightforward for them, though, in a chaotic start to the race. You’d have thought both McLarens – Norris starting on pole and Piastri starting second – woud have played it safe, given that they brought a 21-point lead into this decided. No entanglements, no wheel-to-wheel heroics – that was the order of the day, surely.
That is what Max Verstappen thought, too. So the Dutchman tore down the inside of the first corner expecting Piastri to yield. The fool didn’t yield! Which, as much as anything else, was an irony given how Norris was ruinously never the most resistant to an early Max manoeuvre when the drivers’ title was still at issue.
Lando Norris celebrates after winning the Abu Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit
McLaren’sNorris cruised to victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon
Norris never looked in danger after starting on pole and sealed the Constructors’ Championship
McLaren chief Zak Brown expressed his relief after ‘the worst two hours of his life’
Verstappen and Piastri both spun around, losing ground. Verstappen went back to 11th; Piastri to 19th.
Verstappen was rash, yes, without doubt. But why not let him through and save everyone in his team more concerns? Norris was up front and strong but if anything should go wrong with him, would Ferrari’s pair of Carlos Sainz, running second, and Charles Leclerc, making good progress after starting 19th, be able to close their deficit?
‘Yep, the move of a world champion,’ said Piastri sarcastically.
Verstappen said, with a little bias: ‘Unlucky – I was all the way up the inside before the crash.’
The stewards disagreed and handed the world champion a 10-second penalty. Piastri seemed a little discombobulated by the smash and drove into the back of Franco Calopinto’s Williams, causing a puncture.
The Australian was given a 10-second penalty himself.
They were all counting on Norris getting the job done and winning his fourth race of the year. The Bahrainis, who really own the team, were here in profusion, headed by the Crown Prince. They were involved when Lewis Hamilton won the drivers’ title in 2008 and had waited a long time, and spent a lot of cash, to see a return to the top plinth.
Norris looked strong. Sainz kept him honest, though. Leclerc kept moving through, his car fast, his driving impressive. The Monegasque only started so far back because he exceeded track limits in qualifying and took a penalty-worthy new engine. Piastri went in for his stop in ninth, served his punishment, and reemerged 15th, but well in the hunt for a handful of points.
Oscar Piastri (left) and Max Verstappen (right) span off after colliding on the first lap of the race
Verstappen was able to recover quickly while Piastri was left at the back of the field
McLaren beat Ferrari to the Constructors’ Championship after it went down the the final race
Lewis Hamilton produced a brilliant drive to finish fourth after starting back in 16th
Hamilton signed off from Mercedes in style with a fine drive ahead of his move to Ferrari
Leclerc was up to third when he asked: ‘If it’s like this we lose the constructors’?’
He was told: ‘Yes, but it’s not over yet. Keep pushing.’
As for Hamilton’s goodbye from Mercedes, it was a day of partial success and no dishonour – and a final flourish. He started 16th after a bollard got caught under his car in qualifying.
He started on hard tyres, uniquely among the entire grid, and hung in there after a decent start. In the latter stages he was 14 seconds behind team-mate George Russell, a place ahead of him in fourth. ‘Fourteen seconds!’ Hamilton exclaimed.
‘You can do it,’ exhorted Toto Wolff from the garage.
Hamilton made rapid progress to get within 1.5sec of Russell with three laps remaining. ‘Stating the obvious but keep it super clean with Lewis,’ said Wolff, not wishing a disastrous end for their greatest champion on his way out to Ferrari.
Last lap, Hamilton passed Russell, who then clapped the old boy after they crossed the line. Fourth and out.
Piastri finished 10th, his blushes saved by Norris beating the two Ferraris into second and third. That same Norris, the one who so often this year was the nearly man, but last night was the champion with tears in his eyes.