Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Auto

F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024 preview: The last race decides the Championship

Red Bull is out of the running for the top spot, but McLaren and Ferrari both have a chance.

By
Yas Marina Circuit for the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024.
Courtesy of Formula 1

The 2024 F1 racing season ends with the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 6 to 8. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen locked in the Drivers’ Championship during the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but the Constructors’ Championship remains undecided as Ferrari still has a chance to outscore McLaren to win the biggest team prize of the season.

The challenges of the Yas Marina Circuit

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is run on the Yas Marina Circuit. It consists of 58 laps of the 3.28-mile track, or 190.14 miles. Max Verstappen set the lap record in 2021 at 1:26.103 (minutes: seconds). Verstappen won the race in 2023 when Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc came in second, and Mercedes driver George Russell was third.

Recommended Videos

The track has sixteen turns, with two DRS zones allowing overtaking. The current weather forecast is for highs in the 80s. The track temperatures will be higher, which could make staying cool a challenge during the race.

Related

The Constructors’ Championship is at stake

McLaren currently has 640 Constructors’ Championship points. There is a potential for any team to win a total of 44 points (during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, so Ferrari’s current 619-point total puts the team in reach of the prize. Red Bull cannot win the Championship, although they could place second if Verstappen and Sergio Perez finish in the top three and Ferrari doesn’t gain more than four points – neither of which outcome is likely. The McLaren and Ferrari race cars have been exceptionally fast recently, and both drivers have delivered, so it’s possible that either team could win.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix schedule

The best way to watch F1 race events live is with F1TV Pro, a subscription streaming service from Formula 1. The paid service includes an option to choose a cockpit view from any of the 20 race cars live, pre- and post-race shows, archives of past races and seasons, and much more. ESPN subscribers can also watch the races live with the additional content. F1TV also has a free, ad-supported version that posts race replays five days after the race.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race Event Date Local Time (UTC +4) U.S. Time (EDT)
Free Practice December 6 1:30 PM 4:30 AM
Free Practice December 6 5:00 PM 8:00 AM
Free Practice December 7 2:30 PM 5:30 AM
Qualifying December 7 6:00 PM 9:00 AM
Grand Prix December 8 5:00 PM 8:00 AM

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown
A Digital Trends Contributing Editor and Contributor for TheManual.com, Bruce Brown writes e-mobility reviews and covers…
1954 F1 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Up for Auction at Sotheby’s: €50M+ Expected
F1 champions Fangio and Moss drove 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R that is up for auction
1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen right rear three-quarter view.

Formula 1 collectors have a rare opportunity to bid on a historic racecar driven by two of the 20th century's greatest drivers. RM Sotheby's accepts registration from parties wishing to bid on the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen that F1 five-time World Champion Juan Manual Fangio drove to win the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix.
Why the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen is so special

The W 196 R was the Mercedes-Benz car built for Grand Prix racing when the company returned to racing after World War II. The car's success in the 1955 season design demonstrated the company's resources and readiness to dominate. Different bodywork was used in different races. For example, when Fangio drove the car in Buenos Aires, it had an open-wheel body.

Read more
Get the scoop on the 2025 F1 Sim Racing season that kicks off January 14
It's easy to watch the F1 Sim Racing Championship events
Racing studio setup for F1 Sim World Championship race.

The first Grand Prix of the 2025 FIA F1 World Championship season is March 14, but F1 fans don't have to wait to see their favorite team in Sim racing. All ten real-world F1 teams have Sim racing teams competing for $750,000 in the 2025 F1 Sim Racing World Championship season, which begins January 14.
F1 Sim racing - What you need to know

Each of the ten F1 Sim racing teams enters three drivers in three racing events. The racers are physically at the EFG studio in Stockholm, Sweden, with individual F1 simulators linked by Wi-Fi.

Read more
GM forms new company to create powertrains for potential Formula 1 race car
Ferrari has the first years covered, but then the GM/Cadillac F! team needs its own engines.
Mockup of potential GM Cadillac F1 car for 2026.

General Motors announced a new company established with TWG Motorsports to create new powertrains for the potential GM/Cadillac Formula 1 team that so far has only tentative approval to become the 11th team for the 2026 season.

The new company, GM Performance Power Units LLC, will be located in North Carolina, close to the GM Charlotte Technical Center.
Why GM announced the engine company now
The timing of this announcement might seem a bit odd since the GM/Cadillac F! team doesn't have final approval by the FIA and F1, but the nature of the potential approval dictates an early start.

Read more