McLaren could be about to end its 26-year wait for a Formula 1 constructors’ title, while Lewis Hamilton’s time with Mercedes is set to finish on a disappointing note.
Lando Norris took pole position for the season’s final race on Saturday, alongside his teammate Oscar Piastri, putting McLaren close to winning the constructors’ championship for the first time since 1998.
Although Norris couldn’t prevent Max Verstappen from securing the drivers’ title, he emphasized how much winning the constructors’ championship would mean for McLaren.
“It was hard just to break that barrier of getting close to Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull, because for such a long period of time they’ve been the guys who have dominated Formula 1,” Norris said.
Norris has been with McLaren since he debuted in F1 in 2019, and he didn’t win a race until this year.
On Saturday, he mentioned that he had received offers from other teams that might have given him a better chance of winning earlier, but he chose to stay with McLaren and help turn the team around.
“I had those opportunities, but I believed and I wanted to simply do it with McLaren. I wanted to do it with the guys who gave me my opportunity in Formula 1,” Norris said.
Norris’ final lap was .209 of a second faster than Piastri, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. .020 further behind. Nico Hulkenberg surprised everyone by qualifying fourth for Haas but later received a three-place grid penalty for overtaking in the pit exit tunnel. Max Verstappen, the champion, qualified fifth.
Sainz’s teammate Charles Leclerc was 14th in the second part of qualifying and already had a 10-place grid penalty, making it unlikely for Ferrari to catch McLaren’s 21-point lead in the constructors’ standings.
Sainz acknowledged that it was always going to be difficult for Ferrari to win the title, even before Leclerc’s problems. “But until the checkered flag comes down tomorrow, anything can happen, and I’m going to keep fighting for whatever comes,” he said.
The constructors’ title also brings a significant financial reward, typically worth around $140 million.
Hamilton’s difficult day
Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton qualified 18th for his final race with Mercedes after an unusual incident ruined his final lap. He will start 16th on Sunday due to penalties for other drivers.
During qualifying, a plastic pole marking a corner was knocked loose by Kevin Magnussen’s Haas car, and Hamilton drove over it, causing the pole to get stuck under his car.
Hamilton had already been one of the slower drivers in the first part of qualifying and was eliminated soon after the incident.
“I messed that up big time, guys,” Hamilton told the team over the radio.
Hamilton is set to join Ferrari in 2025 after 12 years with Mercedes, where he won six drivers’ titles.
This season, Hamilton has won two races, including an emotional victory at his home British Grand Prix. However, he has been frustrated by a series of poor results. In recent races, he has been outperformed by his teammate George Russell and struggled with penalties and a puncture in Qatar.
Jack Doohan, the newest driver on the grid, qualified last in his debut for Alpine after replacing Esteban Ocon. He will race a full season with Alpine next year.
