This afternoon, the final day of free practice for the 2024 Formula 1 season concluded at the Yas Marina circuit. For Lewis Hamilton, it marks his last weekend with Mercedes, the team with which he claimed six world titles, or seven if considering them purely as an engine supplier. In 2025, the Briton will move to Italy to join Maranello, where he will aim to crown a career that can only be compared to Michael Schumacher’s.
Having secured the third-fastest time in FP1 and the fifth in FP2, it might seem that Hamilton has no chance of fighting for the win. However, looking at the race pace, it is surprising to note that he displayed the best rhythm with a heavy fuel load during today’s second session.
Hamilton dreams of one last victory with Mercedes
To be brief, Hamilton was the fastest and the only driver consistently lapping under 1:30. The Medium C4 tire showed very low degradation here in Abu Dhabi (Pirelli brought its most aggressive selection). The track temperature of around 30°C certainly helped. Low degradation was also evident for McLaren, which seemed to hold back a little, especially with Piastri. Without that final lap close to 1:31, Oscar would have delivered an extraordinary pace (1:29.448).
Hamilton and his team can approach the race dreaming of one last roar from the champion in Mercedes colors. However, McLaren will be a tough adversary. Their pace is quick, and their one-lap performance is particularly impressive. Abu Dhabi is known for being a challenging track for overtaking, so if the McLaren duo starts at the front, it will be difficult for anyone to beat them.
Never count Red Bull out of the fight
Red Bull remains a threat, especially with Perez seemingly in better form than his teammate. The Mexican isn’t far behind the two McLarens, so Verstappen cannot be entirely ruled out. Typically, when Checo performs well on a Friday, Max manages to extract something extra in qualifying and the race.
Ferrari’s Constructors’ Championship challenge becomes even tougher
It was a disappointing Friday for Ferrari. Their race pace is lacking, and the battery replacement on Leclerc’s car has significantly complicated the weekend. The Scuderia will not give up, but starting ten places back in a weekend where rivals are clear favorites feels like a partial defeat. Especially as overtaking will be challenging. While giving up is not an option, recovering the 21-point gap to McLaren suddenly feels like a “Mission Impossible” worthy of Tom Cruise. Perfection alone won’t be enough.
We observed low degradation and consistent lap times. Drivers managed to take the Medium C4 tires through approximately 20 laps. It’s already possible to anticipate a one-stop Medium-Hard strategy, with a pit stop likely between laps 24 and 27.
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