Nearly a week after the last Formula 1 GP of the season, the fight for the title is still being discussed. Specifically, McLaren CEO Zak Brown revealed how close the Woking team came to losing the Constructors’ Championship during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the 5.281-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island. Here’s what happened.
The final weekend was dominated by the papaya-colored team. From Friday’s first two free practice sessions, it was clear that both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were the fastest on the grid. For Ferrari, only a miracle could have changed their fate, especially considering Charles Leclerc’s grid penalties. Things worsened further on Saturday.
After Charles Leclerc’s Q2 lap time was deleted, forcing him to start from 19th on the grid, the championship was already leaning toward England. Even though Oscar Piastri was hit by Verstappen on the first lap of the race, Lando Norris delivered one of his best performances.
The British driver claimed victory and secured the Constructors’ Championship for McLaren after 26 years. His advantage over Carlos Sainz at the checkered flag was 5.8 seconds. According to CEO Zak Brown, their chances of victory were seriously threatened during the pit stop phase.
“I would never have wanted to be one of the mechanics tasked with executing a two-second pit stop. And they nailed it. After a 24-race season, we were about 0.7 tenths away from losing the championship. Lando came back on track with a gap of around 1.6 or 1.7 seconds over Carlos Sainz, and Carlos was faster,” said Zak Brown.
“If he had been slightly closer, maybe even with DRS, we wouldn’t have been able to defend. Ferrari is very fast on the straights, and Lando was in dirty air,” Zak Brown continued. “The mechanics pulled off one of the best pit stops of the race, and they were incredible. It’s amazing.” – the McLaren chief executive officer.
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