Lando Norris wins in Abu Dhabi as McLaren end Formula 1 title drought

Lando Norris led the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from start to finish on Sunday to end McLaren's 26-year wait for a Formula 1 (F1) constructors' title.

The Briton delivered in style after Australian team mate Oscar Piastri tangled with Red Bull's quadruple world champion Max Verstappen at the first corner and dropped to the back of the field.

Piastri finished 10th, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc second and third for Ferrari, McLaren's historic rivals and the only likely team that could have beaten them to the championship.

"You all deserve this. Thank you so much. It's been a special year," Norris said over the team radio after taking the chequered flag for his fourth win of the season. Next year is going to be my year too."

The 25 points, and Piastri's one, left McLaren 14 clear of Ferrari and champions for the first time since 1998. Norris finished the season as overall runner-up.

Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu of Kick Sauber came in 13th in his final race of the season. He will part ways with the team.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in his last race for Mercedes, starting 16th and overtaking team mate George Russell on the 58th and final lap. He joins Leclerc, who made stunning progress through the field after starting 19th, at Ferrari next season.

"Lewis, that was the drive of a world champion," said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who could at least take some consolation in McLaren winning with the German manufacturer's engines.

Hamilton was 14 seconds behind Russell with 15 laps to go and was told he could catch him. He managed it six corners from the end with Russell putting up little resistance and clapping Hamilton at the finish.

The 39-year-old then saluted the crowd with some tyre-smoking spins to mark the end of the most successful driver and team pairing in F1 history.

"What started as a leap of faith turned into a journey into the history books," Hamilton said over the team radio.

Verstappen, who took his fourth successive drivers' title in Las Vegas last month, was sixth after collecting a 10-second penalty for the collision with Piastri.

Pierre Gasly was seventh for Alpine, who won their mid-table battle to finish sixth overall in the standings, with Nico Hulkenberg eighth for Haas and Fernando Alonso ninth for Aston Martin.

McLaren were the first team of the current engine era to win the title as a customer rather than a factory team.