Theo NeufondNovember 11, 2024
There are only three Grands Prix left in this crazy 2024 Formula 1 season. A triple header with Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, promising thrilling races with multiple stakes. Between the constructors' world championship, Lewis Hamilton's last kilometers with Mercedes, the fight between Verstappen and Norris, what are the challenges of the last three Grands Prix?
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No time to breathe. After one of the most intense Grands Prix in recent years, at Interlagos last Sunday November 3, the grand finale of this 2024 Formula 1 season is already in sight! Three races (Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi) linked together in two weeks, from November 24 to December 8, promise their share of surprises. A final triple header to keep motorsport fans in suspense, to be followed in full and exclusively on CANAL+ channels.
In Brazil, an incredible scenario unfolded. Who would have dared to imagine a comeback for Max Verstappen from 17th to 1st place, accompanied by a double podium for Alpine? Yet this is what happened, changing the course of the season! While the drivers' world championship seemed like it could be played out until the final kilometers of 2024, the situation is now very different. With the victory of Verstappen and the 6th place of Lando Norris – who started in pole position – the Dutchman could well be crowned in Las Vegas.
Verstappen or Norris? A question quickly resolved!
With 62 points ahead, Max Verstappen is very close to winning his 4th world champion title. The fight for the grail seemed set to last until the end of the season, but Lando Norris, his only rival, collapsed at Interlagos. Despite the 8 points gained with his victory in the sprint race and his pole position for the main race, Norris failed to realize this advantage against Verstappen who started from 17th place!
Read also: Verstappen makes a comeback in Brazil, the Alpine on the podium!
The Red Bull driver defied predictions and statistics: he had only a 0.5% chance of winning from 17th place (out of 1122 Grands Prix, only six have been won by a driver starting from this position or beyond). Norris, meanwhile, had his worst race starting from pole since 2021. This season, the Briton has started from pole seven times for two wins, two second places, a third and a fourth place.
With only three races remaining in 2024, the drivers' championship could be decided at the next Grand Prix. In Las Vegas, Verstappen could be crowned if Norris does not score three points more than the Dutchman. In short, if the Red Bull finishes between 1st and 3rd place, and the McLaren then crosses the line, Verstappen will be world champion. It would be the same if the Dutchman finished 4th with the point for the best lap and Norris finished 5th at best.
McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull… An increasingly tight constructors' championship
If there is one area where the suspense remains total with three Grands Prix remaining, it is the constructors' championship. Three teams are neck and neck for the title, with only 49 points difference between McLaren (1st) and Red Bull (3rd), with Ferrari lurking in 2nd place.
Over the last three Grands Prix, also in the triple header format, Ferrari has collected 116 points, followed by McLaren with 77 points, while Red Bull has only scored 69, almost half of them in Brazil. This dynamic promises a constructors' championship contested until the last round in Abu Dhabi. Red Bull starts with a slight disadvantage, largely offset by the performance of Max Verstappen, while Sergio Pérez has only scored 7 points over the last three races.
The last kilometers of Lewis Hamilton with Mercedes, an 8th winner this season?
One of the attractions of this end of the season, in addition to the drivers' and constructors' championships, will be to see Lewis Hamilton's last races with Mercedes.
After 12 seasons with the German team, Hamilton will leave Mercedes to join Ferrari next year, leaving behind a great story: six world championship titles, 84 victories and 152 podiums. In Las Vegas, Qatar or Abu Dhabi, could the Briton achieve ultimate success? These circuits were variously favorable to him: no victory at Vegas, only one at Losail, but four at Yas Marina.
An incredible season is therefore about to end. This notably saw seven drivers win the Grand Prix, including six multi-winners (Verstappen 8, Norris 3, Leclerc 3, Piastri 2, Sainz 2, Hamilton 2, Russell 1). One of the challenges of the next three races will be to see if an 8th driver will win a Grand Prix this year, a feat not seen since 2012 (Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso, Button, Raikkonen, Webber, Rosberg, Maldonado). The suspense remains intact and we'll see you for the last three events, to be followed in full and exclusively on CANAL+!
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