Sat Dec 07 08:12:21 UTC 2024: **Emotional Abu Dhabi GP as Hamilton, Sainz, and Piastri Reflect on Final Races with Teams**
Abu Dhabi, UAE – The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marks the end of an era for several Formula 1 drivers, with Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, and Oscar Piastri all facing their final races with their current teams. The atmosphere is charged with emotion, not only due to the impending driver changes but also because of the tight Constructors’ Championship battle.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, facing his last race with the team for now, expressed pride in navigating a challenging year. He highlighted the intense competition for the Constructors’ Championship, where Ferrari trails McLaren by 21 points. Sainz emphasized the closeness between the top four teams (Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull), making it difficult to predict the outcome. Securing the Constructors’ title before leaving Ferrari would be “everything,” he said, a perfect send-off after four years with the team.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri expressed confidence in McLaren’s chances, acknowledging the tight competition and the potential for other teams to influence the championship. He reflected on his rookie season, highlighting improvements while acknowledging areas for further development.
Lewis Hamilton, in his final race with Mercedes after 12 years and 246 races, described a mix of calm and excitement. He focused on his pride in the team’s achievements and the strong relationships forged over the years, citing emotional moments of success and shared experiences as his abiding memories. Hamilton admitted that leaving Mercedes was far more emotional than his departure from McLaren in 2012, acknowledging that the lengthy goodbye presented significant challenges and strained relationships early in the year, but that ultimately the positive memories outweigh the difficulties.
The press conference also touched upon the potential loss of the Dutch Grand Prix from the 2026 calendar onwards. Sainz suggested that while the sport’s shift towards more races outside Europe is understandable, a solution should be found to allow classic European circuits like Zandvoort to retain a place, perhaps on a rotational basis.
First Piper 