We've reached the final race of the 2024 season, which for many meant a farewell, for some a debut, and for others the world title.
The start was interesting, with Max Verstappen nimbly getting ahead of Oscar Piastri and, with that momentum, also taking the Australian off the track, as well as himself… Meanwhile, the other Red Bull, Sergio Pérez, also struggled and lost out in the battle with Valtteri Bottas, ending up off the track. A VSC phase followed, then Piastri had to deal with the race of Franco Colapinto, who was unlucky enough to suffer a puncture. Meanwhile, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, and Pierre Gasly were at the front, but that only lasted until the pit stops.
Due to the different tactics, we saw the order of Norris, Sainz, and Russell, and there was practically a train of cars without events for long periods. Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas suffered a puncture and, unfortunately, also took out Kevin Magnussen. The paradox was that Bottas's race, which had been performing excellently throughout the weekend, ended in disgrace. The incidents after the start also didn't go unpunished: Verstappen received ten seconds for his "action" against Piastri, while the latter also received the same time for his error against Colapinto.
Once Lewis Hamilton, the last to pit, returned to the track, the screen showed the order of Norris, Sainz, and Leclerc. The positions stabilized: Norris, the two Ferraris, and the two Mercedes, with Verstappen right behind them. There were only a few minor midfield battles, back-and-forth overtaking, and in the final sprint, the performances of Gasly and Hülkenberg were the highlight. And, of course, Lando Norris's victory with McLaren, which, at the last moment, earned him the constructors' title, the podium finishes of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, and, of course, Lewis Hamilton's beautiful last-lap overtake of George Russell.
