OFFICIAL GRID: Starting positions at Yas Marina revealed as Hulkenberg, Leclerc, Albon, and Colapinto face penalties

With Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri starting in the top two positions in Abu Dhabi, McLaren is on the verge of clinching the 2024 constructors’ championship. However, there’s still much to be decided on Yas Island, with a shuffled grid behind them for the season’s final race.

Ferrari are the only team who could crash the papaya cars’ title party and Carlos Sainz heads their hopes from P3 – it’s a lonely P3, though, as team mate Charles Leclerc will start his race from 19th place after a 10-place grid drop for power unit changes, News.Az reports citing the Formula1.

It’s newly crowned four-time champion Max Verstappen alongside Sainz, followed by Pierre Gasly in the Alpine, Mercedes’ George Russell and Nico Hulkenberg – who had qualified a spectacular fourth on his last Haas appearance, but was penalised three places for passing in the pit lane.

A feisty Fernando Alonso starts eighth for Aston Martin, Valtteri Bottas is a season-best P9 on his last Kick Sauber outing, and Sergio Perez completes the top ten in what he insists won’t be his last race partnering Verstappen at Red Bull.

A tough Saturday session means Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes swansong will kick off from P16, while Alpine’s Jack Doohan makes his F1 race debut from P17. Both Williams took five-place grid drops for new gearbox components, putting Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto 18th and 20th respectively.

News.Az