Formula 1 News: 2024 Abu Dhabi GP Post-Race Quotes
All ten Formula 1 teams plus tire supplier Pirelli provided quotes after the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP at the Yas Marina Circuit.
McLaren
Lando Norris, 1st
“This feels incredible. The team have done an amazing job this season to come from where we were at the beginning. I’m so proud of everyone. It’s been a lovely journey and to end the season with another race win is perfect. A big thank you goes to everyone at McLaren, everyone in papaya, everyone who supported us this year. It’s been tough, but for us to win the Constructors’ Championship after 26 years is pretty special. I’ve learned a lot from this year, from the team and from competitors around me. I’m excited to get next year going.”
Oscar Piastri, 10th
“We did it! I am so incredibly happy for the team. Whilst it was a tough race, we managed to seal the Constructors’ Championship and that means more than anything for everyone.
“I want to thank every single person at McLaren for what they’ve done for myself and Lando this year. We’ve had so many highs, and whilst there have also been lows, we kept pushing and it all culminated into today. I am so excited for the future with this team. We go again next year.”
Andrea Stella, Team Principal
“McLaren are the 2024 Constructors’ Championship winners. I’m incredibly proud of the entire team here, both trackside and back at the factory. It’s been 26 years since we’ve won the Championship. It’s a wonderful feeling this evening. Our work has paid off and we’ll be celebrating with everyone.
“I would like to give my thanks to each and everyone in the team for their hard work and dedication, and to our shareholders, partners and fans, for their unwavering support. I’d also like to thank our colleagues at HPP for the successful collaboration. It’s been a hard-fought Championship. Well done to Ferrari who drove a really good race today as well, and were great competitors. It won’t be long until we are head down into next year, but until then, we’ll make sure to take in every moment and celebrate our win.”
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, 3rd
“Even though the race itself was incredible, we fell short of our main objective of winning the constructors’ title, so the disappointment is there today. The first lap was really strong, I managed to make up 11 positions going from P19 to P8. The whole first stint was good, but it was a bit tricky to overtake because there was a train of DRS ahead. We managed to make it through and preserved our tires well, so I am very happy with the way we manage our race. There was nothing we could have done better.
“Speaking about Carlos, it has been incredible to share team with him for four seasons. We pushed each other to new heights and moved the team positively, always keeping respect for each other. That we are here today, missing our on the world title by 14 points, is also thanks to his contribution. I wish him all the best and look forward to seeing what he will do in the future.
“Looking at next year, I hope that we can start the season off with a really strong car. This is probably where we missed our this year, coming back strong in the second half of the season which is where we made a big impact thanks to the incredible work of everyone back in our factory who created the upgrades which let us perform the way we have. This gives me confidence for the future and I really look forward to being back on track in 2025. A big thank you to the whole team that has made this season possible.”
Carlos Sainz, 2nd
“We gave it everything we had. I did my best to try to keep Lando (Norris) under pressure but today McLaren was just a bit faster overall. Congratulations to the Papaya team for the Constructors’ Championship, they fought hard and they deserve it! As a team, we should be proud of what we’ve accomplished this year—five wins and numerous podiums is no small feat in such a tight championship. It was an emotional parade lap after the checkered flag and I suspect tonight will bring even more emotions.
“Thank you, Scuderia Ferrari, this is truly a special team. These four years together are something I will always cherish and I have no words to describe it in a simple final quote. Grazie di cuore!”
Fred Vasseur, Team Principal
“We pushed all the way to the last corner of the last lap. I am very happy with the job we did today, because it was unexpected to finish P2 and P3, given where Charles was on the grid. Today, Charles drove a great race. Before the start I had a bet with him on what his position would be at the end of lap 1 and we both lost it as he was too far ahead of what we had both predicted and we can say it’s definitely not today that we lost the championship. It’s a bit frustrating to finish 14 points behind McLaren as it is a very small margin, less than 2% of the total available. I have huge respect for what McLaren has done in recent years. So congratulations to them.
“From our side, the target is never to be P2 so, if you are not P1 it means you have to improve, but I’d say we had a good season, making a solid step forward as we’ve scored 50% more points than last season, but the target remains that of winning titles.
“And finally a word for Carlos: he was always very professional, always consistent and he and Charles always fought each other hard which is a good thing as you progress faster as a team this way. I wanted to see the team all pulling in the same direction and Carlos did more than his share in achieving that. For next year, myself and everyone in the team do not need to look for motivation, because we already have it! From tomorrow, we will already be focused on 2025.”
Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton, 4th
“That was a tough but really enjoyable race. I had to bide my time at the beginning on the Hard tire and was struggling to make progress. To come through the field on the Medium compound in the final stages felt great though. To come through the field from P16 and make it back to P4 was awesome. I’m really happy with how my evening went and how the car felt. It was definitely a good way to end our time together!
“After the checkered flag, I was focused on just taking it all in, knowing that this was my last time in a Mercedes cockpit and savoring the emotions. I want to hold on to that moment, so I just sat there, contemplating everything we’ve been through together, all the ups and downs, and the success we’ve enjoyed. I can’t tell you how much I am going to miss this team. I’ve worked with them every day for the last 12 years and there is so much love there. That won’t disappear, no matter that we will be racing each other on track next year.”
George Russell, 5th
“Lewis had an amazing race, so I want to say a big well done to him. He has not only been an incredible team-mate, but someone that I looked up to when I was karting and racing in junior formula. He is not only the greatest driver of all time but is the type of person that every racing driver should aspire to be. I wish him well in his next challenge and look forward to battling him on track.
“Today I just didn’t have the pace to compete for more than P4. I’ve not had the speed all weekend and it is a shame to end the season like that. We need to go away and understand why that was. That said, there are many positives we can take away from the season. We have got back to winning races and, on occasion, have been competing right at the front on merit. We know there is more we need to do to compete for championships, but we are all determined to make progress and do so next year. Finally, congratulations to McLaren on winning the Constructors’ Championship. They have been a worthy adversary all season and are deserving winners.”
Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“It has been 12 years that we have spent with Lewis. It is not only the longest driver and team partnership in the sport’s history, but it is also the most successful. A relationship of that length and a journey like that creates a bond, trust, and shared values that are rare nowadays. It is a period of time that we will always hold close to our hearts and one that I personally will treasure forever. Despite knowing that whatever happened in our final race today didn’t impact our legacy, we all wanted to end on a high. I am so glad we were able to do so. He will always be a part of our family and, if it isn’t us winning on track, we hope that it is him.
“Without the bollard getting in Lewis’s way yesterday in Qualifying, I think he could have fought for victory. He was quick throughout today and made the alternative strategy work well. He drove like a world champion. That is befitting of our time together and a real statement. For George, he had a tougher time of it. He hasn’t had the pace in the car this weekend to fight for the podium, but he did well to bring home solid points.
“Congratulations to McLaren on their success in the Constructors’ Championship. They have done a fantastic job this year. They have built a strong team with good engineering, good leadership, and good drivers. They are fully deserving of this year’s title. We are pleased for our colleagues at Brixworth too; this is a success also for Mercedes Motorsport and HPP. Whilst we know that the works team is the absolute key priority, it is great to see a customer team do so well.”
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director
“After yesterday’s challenges, we can hold our heads high in how we responded today. Starting from P6 and P16, we knew we would have a fight on our hands to score solid points and challenge for the podium. George, as has been the case all weekend, lacked that extra pace needed to battle for the top-three. That is unusual as he has been consistently fast this year so we need to go away and understand why that was. Nevertheless, he did a fine job to maximize points for the team and raced cleanly on that final lap with Lewis.
“Lewis meanwhile completed a drive worthy of our incredible 12-year journey together. He used the offset Hard-Medium strategy to great effect, calmly and methodically working his way through the field, before deploying the medium compound in the final stint. He worked his way past multiple cars, dropped the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, and produced a great move to take P4 on the final lap. Whilst we would have all loved to have been on the podium one final time, a battling drive against the odds seems an apt sign off for our time together. We wish him all the very best for the future, knowing that he will always be a part of our family.
“It has been a long and, at times, tough season. We know there is more work for us to do if we are to challenge for championships once again. Everyone at Brackley and Brixworth is focused on doing just that. Congratulations to McLaren and our colleagues at Brixworth on their Constructors’ Championship success. They have been the best team this year and are more than deserving of the title. We look forward to doing battle with them on the track next year.”
Red Bull
Max Verstappen, 6th
“My start was good and I went up the inside and then realized it was going to be tight at the apex with Oscar. I tried to stay on the curb but unfortunately, we clipped the tires and spun which wasn’t great. I have already apologized to Oscar, he is one of the last guys you want to come together with and it wasn’t great. After that, we had a tough race and were struggling with tires as they were overheating. We were just stuck in that position unfortunately so didn’t make it up with the pace. It has been a long season and there wasn’t a lot for us to fight for today. I’m looking forward to the break, I’m going to switch off, relax and spend some much-needed time with friends and family. We have things to work on for next year and already have good ideas but we will see when we get into the car next year. We have had an up and down season and McLaren have been very strong from Miami onwards. I want to thank the Team for the season, it has been a long one but we have stuck together and ultimately to come away with a Drivers’ Championship has been fantastic.”
Sergio Perez, DNF
“It hasn’t been a great year and we wanted a better result today but in the end, it probably summed up the season. It was just very unfortunate to have a collision with Valtteri, I was turning into turn six and I got hit from the back. I think he broke too late but I had the feeling that the car was already damaged before that, I was upshifting and the gearbox was spinning, so I think there was potentially an engine issue prior. I ended up losing drive and couldn’t continue. I am relived this season is over in a way, it has been a very frustrating and difficult year. I am just happy it is all over and I can look forward now. We will see what happens in the coming days, I don’t know what is going to happen at the moment, I have a contract and the Team and I have been talking. It’s a case of discussing what is the best for everybody moving forwards.”
Christian Horner, Team Principal
“Firstly, we have to congratulate McLaren, it’s incredibly tough to win a Championship and they have not taken their foot off the gas all season. Full credit where it is due, they are deserving of that trophy. For us, in a season where we won nine races, more than any other team and successfully defended the Drivers Championship equates to an exceptional year. Max has been outstanding. It’s been a long season with 24 races and none of it would have been possible without the hard work from everyone both here at track and back in Milton Keynes, their continued drive and determination throughout the year was long and relentless, similarly the support from all of our partners, without them none of this would be possible and we are extremely grateful for all that they bring and what we continue to build, equally a special thanks to Honda and their consistency and contribution. I would also like to thank our fans, it is because of you that we are here and why we race, there simply wouldn’t be any F1 if it were not for them. Finally, a special thanks to Max and Checo. Their hard work and relentless pursuit throughout the campaign has not always bore the fruits they deserved but they remained committed and resolute throughout. We will look to recharge over the next couple of months as we head into 2025 and look forward to coming back fighting once again. Thank you to all, we wish you a happy holidays and a successful New Year!”
Alpine
Jack Doohan, 15th
“Firstly, thank you to Luca de Meo, Flavio Briatore and Oliver Oakes for the opportunity, it has been an incredible experience to make my Formula 1 debut and I am very grateful that they entrusted me to step into the car this weekend. Thank you to the whole team for making the transition as smooth as possible. It was fantastic to get back racing, I have learned a lot and gained a lot of experience. We finished sixth in the Constructors’ Championship, which is great, I am happy to have assisted where possible to achieve that, both this weekend and throughout the whole season behind the scenes. Congratulations to Pierre on his result in the race and also getting tenth in the Drivers’ Championship. I am looking forward to next season, kicking it off with my home race in Australia and continuing to work and progress with the team.”
Pierre Gasly, 7th
“I am so happy for the entire team as we have achieved sixth in the Constructors’ Championship. This season we have had lows which were extremely low and highs which were extremely high. We have been through some tough moments this year and I am so proud of the team’s reaction to turnaround our season. We finished it with a competitive car, which has allowed us to regularly compete for Q3 and fight for points in the races. Credit to Haas as it’s been a great battle with them at recent races. There was also a little personal battle between Nico [Hülkenberg] and I in the Drivers’ Championship for tenth place. It was a close one today with him as it always is. He was right behind me, and I knew we just had to react to what he did and we would achieve our targets. It felt good to run in third place for some of the race but we knew that was not our fight today. In the end, an important result, sixth place secured in the Championship, so congratulations to everyone at the team for this achievement.”
Oliver Oakes, Team Principal
“It’s a great achievement to end the season in sixth place in the standings. The turnaround in the second half of the season by the team has been amazing and shows that the hard work and determination of everyone at Enstone and Viry has paid off. The team never gave up, never lost sight of the end goal, and we can take that confidence and momentum into 2025. Pierre drove a great race and did everything asked of him. He’s been at the top of his game recently and put in another top performance today to keep Nico [Hülkenberg] at bay. Jack did well today and showed promising pace, matching the cars around him on similar strategies. It’s a great learning for him to take into next year. Credit to Haas and RB who were strong this year and kept the fight exciting to the very end. Also, congratulations to McLaren on winning the Constructors’ Championship. They’ve been the benchmark this year and they thoroughly deserve it.”
Haas
Nico Hulkenberg, 8th
“We’ve been consistently plugging away, scoring points all season long from the beginning to the end, so flair play to us – we’ve done so well considering where we were last year. That’s what I’m mostly happy and proud about, it was really fun to part of the process and part of the team. I’ve really enjoyed myself these past two years and I’m leaving happy and with a smile – a big thank you to this team, it’s been probably the most enjoyable time in my Formula 1 career.”
Kevin Magnussen, 16th
“The first lap went right, from P14 to P7, so that was one good thing about this race. I had a slow pit stop, that screwed my race and after the second pit stop, I got run into by Bottas, so it was definitely over then. It’s not the way I wanted to end the season, but we gave it a go, I tried something special on that first lap and went for it – gaining seven positions. Since returning, I think we’ve managed to turn the team around and get it on the right track, especially in the last half of this year, and I’m proud of that. I was a small kid dreaming about Formula 1 25 years ago, and I managed to get 10 years in the sport I was desperately dreaming to be a part of – it’s been a privilege.”
Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal
“We knew we all had to go for it and at the end of Lap 1, it was looking great because Nico was in P5 and Kevin had another amazing first lap from P14 to P7. Then unfortunately on Kevin’s first stop it was slow and that’s unfortunate as our pit crew has been amazing this year, but on this critical moment it meant Kevin came out in traffic, so that really compromised his race. As Kevin was stuck in traffic, we pitted him again and on his out-lap Bottas locked up and damaged Kevin’s car. He was very unlucky, I wanted Kevin to sign off well, as he’s done so much and he’s a part of the family, but we couldn’t finish with a points scoring position with him.
“On Nico’s side he drove really well, but being in traffic all the time is really difficult. The execution of his one stop race was very good, and in normal circumstances coming home in P8 and scoring another four points would be a thing to celebrate, so I think we did the best job we could with Nico.
“In terms of championship position, it’s of course bittersweet, because we’re P7 – but were going for P6, but we couldn’t achieve it. I think everyone after the race understands that at the start of the season, if somebody said we’re going to finish P7, we’d be very happy. This year has been an amazing year, everybody working together, every department. We have things to improve, that’s part of the process, but we’re going to come back stronger next year. For now, I want us to recognize what an amazing season we’ve had and I hope everyone is proud of what they’ve achieved and enjoy the moment; I’m very proud of everyone in this team.”
Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso, 9th
“It’s been a positive end to the season for us with two races finishing in the points in Qatar and now here in Abu Dhabi. We had to execute a perfect race and we capitalized on some mistakes by our rivals around us. I’m looking forward to taking a break over the winter after the longest season in the sport’s history. We can reset and learn from all of the difficulties and apply them to next season. We have some great new additions to welcome to the team in 2025 and I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Lance Stroll, 14th
“I had a good start to the race and made up four positions on the opening lap, but the car didn’t have the performance to fight for much more today. After the pit stops, we just didn’t have the pace to climb all the way back through the traffic into the points, but we made a few positions back passing [Jack] Doohan and [Yuki] Tsunoda. This wasn’t the season we were hoping for, but we will be pushing hard to come back stronger next season. Thanks to the team for all their hard work over a challenging year.”
Mike Krack, Team Principal
“A long season comes to an end in Abu Dhabi. We have finished P5 in the Constructors’ championship. There are still positives to take from this year, especially as the midfield battle has been so close. Today we come away with a couple of hard-earned points for Fernando – a little reward for all the effort from everyone at Silverstone and trackside in Abu Dhabi. Lance battled well but didn’t have the benefit of free air that Fernando did and so had the more difficult job of navigating traffic and managing tires. He came out on top following a decisive move on Yuki [Tsunoda] towards the end of the race.
“Congratulations to McLaren on its constructors’ championship – they’ve had an incredible season. I want to thank our drivers, our team trackside and back at the AMRTC. Together with our fantastic partners, colleagues, and importantly our fans you are what drives Aston Martin Aramco forward and it is a privilege to be a part of this great team.”
Williams
Alex Albon, 11th
“With ten laps to go, I thought it would be hard to hold on. The tire’s grip stayed quite strong, but the temperatures just dropped off. Once the track started to cool down, I couldn’t drive quickly enough to keep the temperature in the tires, so it felt like qualifying laps from about 25 laps in until the end, making it a very physical race. It’s a shame not to reward the team with a points finish. My consensus of the season is that it’s been one of missed opportunities. It’s easy to focus on this latter end of the season and the incidents, but realistically, we started with the car overweight when we should’ve been fighting for points. We bought one major upgrade, as our plan was always to focus on the future and at that point, a lot of teams naturally overtook us. In the end, I’m not too upset because I’m here for the long term and I know as a team we’re not interested in being the best of the midfield, we’re putting in the work now for the future to be back fighting for wins and championships and I believe in this journey we’re on. Thank you to Franco for being a great teammate. He earned his place in F1 during these remaining races and I’m sure I’ll be seeing him somewhere on the grid soon.”
Franco Colapinto, DNF
“Retiring the car was not the way I wanted to end the final race of the season. I had a good start and was trying to get through the race, but Piastri hit me which caused a puncture and some damage. We still had good pace after we changed tires but unfortunately, we had to retire the car due to a suspected PU issue. The last couple of races have been really unlucky for me. It hasn’t been the end to the season that I wanted but that’s part of Formula 1. It’s still been a dream come true, but I obviously would’ve loved to have finished how we started. I’ve been working towards racing in F1 since I was very young and I’m so grateful to everyone at Williams for the opportunity to put me in the car for these last nine races.”
Sven Smeets, Sporting Director
“We started from P18 and P20 today which is never easy. After a few laps both drivers made some good progress and were driving well. Unfortunately, Franco was hit by Piastri resulting in a puncture, so we had to pit early. Afterwards his pace was good until we unfortunately had to retire the car due to a suspected PU failure. Not the last race we wanted for him, but he has showed he deserves his place on the grid. As planned, we boxed Alex early but as the race unfolded and many cars around us went for their second stop, we decided to stay out and try the one stop as it was the only way to stay in the points. The race was a few laps too long as the tires dropped off, so at the end Alex finished P11 after a strong race. It has been a tough, long, and very hard season for the whole team but we have shown resilience and will return stronger next year.”