D'Arcy Waldegrave: The real F1 championship title is still up for grabs

This weekend the 2024 Formula 1 season draws to a close at a carpark in Abu Dhabi  

The driver’s championship has been sealed by the alpha peddler Max Verstappen.  

The real championship, the constructors title, is still up for grabs.   

This is where the money is at. This is where the teams attempt to claw back a fistful of the obscene amounts of money they’ve chewed up and spat out through the season.  

Red Bull are out of the picture and has been for some time thanks to the ham-fisted and cumbersome efforts of their number two driver, the hapless Mexican Sergio Perez, who is stinking up his seat by virtue of millionaire investments and his ability to flog soft drink to central America. But that’s F1, the best drivers in the world racing against guys only there because of the finance they bring.  

The constructer's title is a scrap between Ferrari and McLaren. This is where the fascination lies, the ability of four drivers to justify their seats and show their teams why they’re in F1.  

In McLaren, it’s Aussie Oscar Piastri and English silver-spooner Lando Norris. Piastri runs hot and cold, but has picked up a win this year and looks to be talent to be reckoned with over the next few seasons. Norris is a driver who has the skills —three wins in 2024— but not the temperament required to lead a team to the promised land. No surprises for me if he runs out of talent when it really counts.   

In Ferrari, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerk are waving the flag for the Tifosi, the maddest and most passionate fans in motorsport, maybe sport full stop.   

Sainz has collected a brace of wins, Leclerk has three and is fighting Norris for second in the drivers’ championship, but Sainz appears to be the man who carries calm with him around the tracks.   

The scrap between second and third for the drivers could well determine the constructers championship, which peddler can hold his nerve when it really means something.  

The problem here is Leclerk got handed a 10 place grid penalty overnight for a new battery pack, which kind of makes my words redundant. 

The other bunfight is down the grid between Haas and Alpine, 6th and 7th place up for grabs, the difference in prize money around NZ$15 million.  

But for your average Kiwi racecar fan, this weekend is all about Liam Lawson’s last chance to prove his worth and collect a drive for next year’s championship. Lawson v Tsunoda is the scrap that will have my full attention.   

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldegrave from newstalksb.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
At seven to twenty nine and this weekend, the twenty
twenty four Formula One season draws to a close at
a car park and Abu Dhabi. I hate these modern
tracks enough. Already the drivers championship has been sealed by
the alpha male peddler Max fish Stuppen. The real championship,
the Constructor's title is still up for grabs. This is

(00:32):
where the money is at. This is where the teams
attempt to claw back a fistfull of the obscene amounts
of money they've chewed up and spat out throughout the season.
Red Ball out of the picture and had been some
time thanks to the ham fisted and cumbersome efforts of
their number two driver, the hapless Mexican, said Joe Perrys,
who is stinking up a seat by virtue of millionaire

(00:54):
investments and his ability to flog soft drinks to Central America.
But that's if one best drivers in the world racing
against guys only there because of the finance they bring.
The constructor's title is scrap now between Ferrahi and McClaren
This is where the fascination lies, the ability of four
drivers to justify their seats and show their teams why

(01:17):
they are in F one. In McLaren it's the Australian
Oscar Piastree and the English silver spooner Lando Norris. Pastry
runs hot and cold, but he's picked up a win
this year. He looks to be a talent to be
reckoned with in time. Norris is a driver who has
the skills three wins in twenty twenty four, but not
the temperament I believe required to lead a team to

(01:38):
the promised Land. No surprises for me if he runs
out of talent when it really counts. For the Ferraris,
it's Carlos Science and Charlaclair. They're waving the flag for
the Tafosi that the maddest and most passionate fans in motorsport,
maybe sport and full stop. Signs has collected a brace
of wins. Leclaire has three Laclaires fighting Norris for second

(01:59):
in the Driver's Championship too, but Signs appears to be
the man who carries the calm with them round the track.
The scrap between second and third of the Driver's Championship.
You could well determine the constructors Championship as well, which
Pedlican hold his nerve when it really means something. But
what happened over night in Abu Dhabi which is really

(02:22):
going to affect everything. Orlando Norris was the fastest in practice,
followed by Oscar Piastri's teammate, but Charlie Clair has been
hit with a ten place grid penalty for Abu Dhabi
had to change his battery pack, so that may well
determine the positions coming toward the end, which is a

(02:43):
crying shame, but that's Formula one for you. The other
BT fight down the grid between Hassan Alpine, sixth and
seventh place up for grabs. The difference in prize money
is around fifteen million New Zealand dollars.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
But for average Kiwi racecar f this weekend is all
about Liam Lawson's last chance to prove his worth and
collect the drive for next year's championship. Lawson the Sonoda
is the scrap that will have my full attention.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set be on Saturday mornings
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio,