The 2024 season concluded a few hours ago with the checkered flag at the Abu Dhabi GP. In the end, McLaren outperformed Ferrari, thanks to Norris’s brilliant and seemingly straightforward victory ahead of Sainz and Leclerc. The race began with a swift turnaround: Charles Leclerc climbed from P19 to P8 in just one lap, while a collision between Piastri and Verstappen sent Oscar to the back of the field.
A Victory Built on Reliability
McLaren was still in the lead, but at that point, it was crucial for Lando Norris to finish the race. A problem or a retirement would have jeopardized an entire year’s work. The Papaya team built its dominance on reliability: both McLaren and Aston Martin were the only two teams to complete the season using only the power unit components allowed by regulations, avoiding penalties entirely (both teams use Mercedes engines).
This is where McLaren laid part of its success. It replaced its engine components later than Ferrari (Leclerc installed his fourth unit in the Netherlands, while Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri did so in Italy, at Monza). Without ever experiencing significant anomalies, they implemented a meticulous rotation of parts that ensured both drivers remained competitive on every type of track (below is the updated table of units used by the teams as of December 8, 2024, with penalized parts highlighted in red).
Ferrari, by contrast, encountered sporadic issues during the season. Both teams installed their second units simultaneously at the Miami GP (the 7th event of the season), in line with their plans. However, Charles was forced to install a new unit immediately in Emilia Romagna for inspections on his engine.
This setback disrupted Ferrari’s rotation schedule and created some internal doubts within the Scuderia. McLaren, on the other hand, managed a much smoother operation and deserves credit for winning the championship without incurring any penalties.
Now, we’re not saying that reliability alone secured the title for McLaren. But it certainly helped and proved to be a significant added value. Even if Charles Leclerc hadn’t received a penalty for the battery replacement in Abu Dhabi, it likely wouldn’t have changed today’s outcome. Norris was much faster. However, it’s clear that Ferrari could have approached the weekend with a different mindset, better focus, and fewer distractions without the fear of further complications.
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