Qualifying with lights, last dances and debut ceremony - after the twists and turns, a final result that can be considered normal. This is how Qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the last qualifying of the 2024 Formula 1 season went.
After the first "real" timed laps of Q1, Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen and Kevin Magnussen were leading, but due to the rapidly changing conditions, it was almost certain that this would not be the final standings of the session. Soon the world order was turned upside down, as Valtteri Bottas managed to squeeze between the two Scuderia Ferraris, becoming second and qualifying for Q2, while Lewis Hamilton, who was experiencing an exit from Mercedes, was forced to retire due to an extremely unfortunate case. In fact, Kevin Magnussen hit a cone, unfortunately right under Hamilton's car, who thus, braking, went against his fastest lap... In addition to him, the two Williams, Guanyu Zhou and Jack Doohan, who completed his first qualifying in F1, were forced to retire prematurely from further competitions.
In Q2, Verstappen and the two McLarens showed their potential, and then we witnessed drama. Sainz, Verstappen and Nico Hülkenberg were the first to go through to Q3, but the list of last qualifiers and retirements was much more interesting. Indeed, while Valtteri Bottas, who retired, took Alfa Romeo to Q3 with a sensational drive, Ferrari did not really know whether to laugh or cry, as Leclerc, behind Sainz, was eliminated for leaving the track, and will therefore start massively from last position in tomorrow's race. Next to him, the two Visa RBs, Lance Stroll and Kevin Magnussen, had no chance to continue.
Q3 started with an incredible save from Verstappen, which was entertaining, but the Dutchman managed to stay in the lead with this lap too - where he still had a lot of time left. Behind him, Norris and Sainz were at the top of the list after their first attempts, and surprisingly, Hülkenberg was driving the Haas. In the end, Verstappen couldn't pull off a miracle, so pole position went to Lando Norris, ahead of Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz, but the pack is very tight, promising an exciting end to the season. We can't wait to find out!
