We have reached the final race of the 2024 racing season, which for some meant a farewell, for others a debut, and for others still a world championship title.
The start was interesting, with Max Verstappen cleverly nicking Oscar Piastri, knocking him out of the race, as well as himself. Meanwhile, the other Red Bull, Sergio Perez, lost to Valtteri Bottas and was forced off the track. A VSC phase followed, and then Piastri ended the race for Franco Colapinto, who was unfortunate to have a puncture. Meanwhile, at the front, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, and Pierre Gasly were leading, but that only lasted until the pit stops.
Due to the different strategies, we saw a sequence of Norris, Sainz, Russell, and practically a long period of uneventful train. Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas suffered a puncture, unfortunately also affecting Kevin Magnussen. Ironically, Bottas' race, who had performed very well all weekend, came to a disgraceful end... The incidents after the start were also not without consequences: Verstappen received ten seconds for his "action" against Piastri, while the latter also received the same amount for his incident with Colapinto.
Once Lewis Hamilton, the last to stop, returned to the track, the display showed an order of Norris, Sainz, and Leclerc. The fronts solidified: Norris, the two Ferraris, and the two Mercedes, with Verstappen behind them. Only minor battles took place in the midfield, with overtaking from one side to the other. The closing race in gray mainly highlighted the performances of Gasly and Hulkenberg. Not to mention the victory of McLaren's Lando Norris, who clinched the Constructors' Championship at the last moment, the podium finishes for Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, and of course Lewis Hamilton's magnificent overtake of George Russell on the final lap.
