Ferrari Faces Setback in Constructors' Championship

Ferrari's hopes of clinching the 2024 Formula 1 constructors' championship suffered a significant setback when Charles Leclerc was handed a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding the allowed number of energy stores in his car. Despite setting the fastest time in the first practice session, Leclerc's penalty meant he would start from P11, complicating Ferrari's chances against McLaren, who led the standings by 21 points. Carlos Sainz and Leclerc expressed their disappointment after finishing second and third, respectively, in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which was ultimately won by McLaren's Lando Norris, securing their constructors' title. Sainz acknowledged McLaren's strong performance throughout the season, while Leclerc, who also dealt with food poisoning before the race weekend, managed to recover and secure a podium finish. Ferrari's wait for a constructors' title now extends to 16 years, as they failed to overcome McLaren's consistent form in the latter part of the season. The emotional farewell of Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes further added to the drama surrounding the race weekend.