Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Race Recap

Hulkenberg took the start from seventh position on Pirelli P Zero Yellow medium tires and gained two places through the opening lap, before being overhauled by the recovering Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. Hulkenberg came in on lap 13 for White hard tires and relinquished further places to Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton as they recovered positions. Hulkenberg maintained eighth place through the remainder of the 58-lap race to score points in his final start with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team. It marked the 10th points finish from the last 11 races of the season for the team.

Magnussen started from 14th place, also on medium tires, and made a sensational start to surge through to seventh position, including passing several rivals along the back straight. Magnussen came in on lap 12 for hard tires and despite a longer tire change, remained in contention for points, prior to his second scheduled stop on lap 30. Magnussen re-emerged on hard tires but on his out-lap was tipped into a spin at turn 7 by the locked-up Sauber of Valtteri Bottas. Magnussen had to pit again, losing valuable time, and came back out on Red soft tires, before making another pit stop on lap 56 for a fresher set of scrubbed softs. Magnussen set the fastest lap of the race on his final racing lap with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team – the third in history for both driver and team.

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team finished the 2024 season in seventh position in the Constructors’ Championship, on 58 points – its second-highest finish in history and second-highest ever points total.

Up front McLaren Racing’s Lando Norris claimed victory, a result which secured McLaren the Constructors’ Championship, with Scuderia Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc second and third respectively. 



Nico Hulkenberg:

“We’ve been consistently plugging away, scoring points all season long from the beginning to the end, so flair play to us – we’ve done so well considering where we were last year. That’s what I’m mostly happy and proud about, it was really fun to part of the process and part of the team. I’ve really enjoyed myself these past two years and I’m leaving happy and with a smile – a big thank you to this team, it’s been probably the most enjoyable time in my Formula 1 career.”

Kevin Magnussen:

“The first lap went right, from P14 to P7, so that was one good thing about this race. I had a slow pit stop, that screwed my race and after the second pit stop, I got run into by Bottas, so it was definitely over then. It’s not the way I wanted to end the season, but we gave it a go, I tried something special on that first lap and went for it – gaining seven positions. Since returning, I think we’ve managed to turn the team around and get it on the right track, especially in the last half of this year, and I’m proud of that. I was a small kid dreaming about Formula 1 25 years ago, and I managed to get 10 years in the sport I was desperately dreaming to be a part of – it’s been a privilege.”

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal:

“We knew we all had to go for it and at the end of lap 1, it was looking great because Nico was in P5 and Kevin had another amazing first lap from P14 to P7. Then unfortunately on Kevin’s first stop it was slow and that’s unfortunate as our pit crew has been amazing this year, but on this critical moment it meant Kevin came out in traffic, so that really compromised his race. As Kevin was stuck in traffic, we pitted him again and on his out lap Bottas locked up and damaged Kevin’s car. He was very unlucky, I wanted Kevin to sign off well, as he’s done so much and he’s a part of the family, but we couldn’t finish with a points scoring position with him.

“On Nico’s side he drove really well, but being in traffic all the time is really difficult. The execution of his one stop race was very good, and in normal circumstances coming home in P8 and scoring another four points would be a thing to celebrate, so I think we did the best job we could with Nico.

“In terms of championship position, it’s of course bittersweet, because we’re P7 – but were going for P6, but we couldn’t achieve it. I think everyone after the race understands that at the start of the season, if somebody said we’re going to finish P7, we’d be very happy. This year has been an amazing year, everybody working together, every department. We have things to improve, that’s part of the process, but we’re going to come back stronger next year. For now, I want us to recognize what an amazing season we’ve had and I hope everyone is proud of what they’ve achieved and enjoy the moment; I’m very proud of everyone in this team.”