Max Verstappen is enjoying multiple victory laps, as the newly-crowned world champion sees out the 2024 Formula 1 season in style ahead of its final race.
The impressive champion clinched his fourth world title in a row in Las Vegas last month, finishing in 5th, one place ahead of his closest title challenger Lando Norris.
Verstappen went on to win in Qatar to put further gloss on his lead at the top of the Driver’s Championship, and add another win to his fantastic record this season. Now, ahead of the final race, we preview what’s still left to play for in Abu Dhabi.
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Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview
As we know, the season’s main prize has already been awarded to Verstappen, with the prolific driver claiming his fourth world crown in a row with a couple of races to spare.
Verstappen was in no mood to let up following his coronation, finishing in pole position at the Qatar Grand Prix, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri on the podium. Leclerc’s 2nd place finish was the most consequential, as it closed the gap between him in third and Norris in second to just eight points ahead of this race.
In a race filled with dramatic incidents, Norris could only finish 10th in Qatar after suffering a penalty for failing to slow under yellow flags, as he battled for a podium finish. This cost him 10 seconds and dropped him way down the field, giving Leclerc a great chance to apply more pressure in the driver’s standings. Norris wasn’t the only one to suffer penalties in this race, with Lewis Hamilton being hit with two sanctions that eventually left him in 12th.
The big question going into Abu Dhabi is who will finish second to Verstappen between Norris and Leclerc, with the British driver failing to make a podium since Mexico in October, finishing 6th, 6th, and 10th in his last three outings. In the same period, Leclerc has managed finishes in 5th, 4th, and 2nd, giving him the opportunity to overtake Norris at the death.
Another of the season’s loose ends to tie up is the Constructor’s Championship, with McLaren and Ferrari battling at the summit. McLaren lead with 640 points to Ferrari’s 619, with the drivers of the team’s four cars (Norris, Leclerc, Piastri, Sainz) 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th in the Driver’s Championship table, respectively. So, despite Verstappen already certified as world champion, there’s still plenty to race for in Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Betting Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Verstappen is the early favourite to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at 3.00, with Norris at 3.50 and Leclerc just behind at 7.00.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Betting Tips
Race Winner – Charles Leclerc @ 7.50
If you fancy the Monégasque driver to leapfrog Norris in the final race, you can get him priced at 7.50 to finish 1st.
Top 4 Finish – Lewis Hamilton @ 2.65
Going into the final race, you can get this price for Hamilton to finish on the podium for just the fourth time this year.
Race Winning Margin – Between 6-12 Seconds @ 4.20
We suspect that whoever wins the race, they will win it with a nice gap between the runner-up.
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