So close yet so far. It’s the feeling that team Scuderia Ferrari is experiencing after failing to regain its former glory. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix could have been the race where Ferrari would climb back to the top of the Formula 1 tree by winning the Constructors title. But McLaren driver Lando Norris’ dominant run was enough to spoil their party and script their historic title win, their first after 1998.

Interestingly, the last time they won the Constructors title was in 1998, and on that occasion, Ferrari was the team that finished in the runner-up spot, effectively ruining the Maranello’s outfit to get back at McLaren. Mika Hakkinen got the better of Michael Schumacher back in the day.

Lando Norris was up against the task to ensure the title win for McLaren

Only 21 points separated McLaren and their rival Ferrari coming into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. While Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc raced their hearts out, it wasn’t enough to catch Norris, who not only won the race but also secured the championship crown for his team. Having locked out the front row, the McLaren drivers were at a clear advantage to fend off the Ferraris during the race. Red Bull star Max Verstappen had other ideas and spun out Oscar Piastri on the very first corner. However, Lando Norris kept his composure and calm and didn’t allow Sainz to edge ahead of him the entire race. Even Leclerc, who made up ground from P19 to up to the front of the field, wasn’t enough to shake off the McLaren driver.

“It feels incredible, not for myself but for the whole team. The team have done an amazing job this year to come from where we were at the beginning. I’m so proud of everyone—it’s been a lovely journey, and to end the season like this is perfect, so just a congrats and big thank you to everyone in McLaren. Everyone in papaya, everyone who supported us this year because it’s been a tough one. For us to win a Constructors after 26 years is pretty special.” Lando Norris said after the race win.

For Lando Norris and Co., 2024 was a mixed bag. After a couple of seasons of their car not delivering in the ground-effect era, the development package came together in 2024. Lando Norris and breakout star Oscar Piastri racked up podiums one after the other. Norris even joined the title fight following his Miami win, but it wasn’t enough. Along the way, fans sensed a rift between the McLaren drivers begin to form. While Norris was in contention for wins at every race, his teammate Piastri was often in on the fight. The team had to make hard calls on certain occasions, split between focusing on Norris’ campaign and the team’s Constructors fight.

In the end, Ferrari came up just short of 14 points in the title fight. It was an eerie similarity to the 1998 title fight when Mika Hakkinen and McLaren beat the Michael Schumacher-led Ferrari side by 23 points. The two teams finished the title race in the same order as 2024, with Charles Leclerc’s charge from the bottom of the grid not being enough to clear the ghosts of the 1998 fight. The scale of the victory was visible for all McLaren members.

Even the seven-time champ and former McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton congratulated Zak Brown and Norris after the end of the race. Hamilton and Brown greeted each other with a hug, with the McLaren boss appreciating the gesture from the Mercedes driver. “Thank you for everything. thank you for all the nice words. Thank you, thank you.” Hamilton even shook hands with Lando Norris.

On the other side of this story was Ferrari, who hadn’t reached the pinnacle of Formula 1 racing since 2008. Today’s race was as close as they’ve come to reclaiming their former glory, but in the end, they came up short, 14 points to be precise. There was disappointment within the Ferrari camp, which was quite evident from team boss Fred Vasseur’s post-race interview.

Vasseur rates the 2024 Formula 1 season 6 out of 10 for Ferrari

Back in the 2000s, Ferrari was the team to beat in Formula 1 racing. However, in the modern era of racing, that trend has shifted from Mercedes to Red Bull, and now McLaren is slowly emerging as the powerhouse team. The 2024 season wasn’t bad overall for them, but if we are to compare their status as the most successful team in the history of the sport, you’d understand the disappointment that was visible on Vassuer’s face.

“It was a beautiful race from Charles and Carlos. We were so close, only 14 points. I want to compliment McLaren; I think they did an exceptional job. We now must concentrate on us; we know we did a great job this season, and I’m very proud of what we did at home and on track. ranking this season? I give it a 6. There’s an improvement margin.” Vassuer said.

In the grand scheme of 2024, the Maranello team seemed like real contenders for the title in the first half of the season. After Max Verstappen’s dominant 2023 title, fans expected a repeat from 2024. These expectations were short-lived after Carlos Sainz won the 2024 Australian GP. It was nothing but downhill for the team after that. While the team did get a few more wins on their belt, their overall points finish throughout the season was not enough for the title. The team’s strategic calls often came into question, with fans regularly mocking the Scuderia’s choices on the track.

The good news for Ferrari is that they will have reinforcements with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton. But they certainly need to sort out their plans and learn from this year’s mistakes.