The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024 marked the dramatic conclusion to a thrilling Formula 1 season, offering a weekend packed with excitement and historic moments. From Lewis Hamilton bidding an emotional farewell to Mercedes after 11 years to Lando Norris securing a decisive victory that crowned McLaren as Constructors’ Champions for the first time in 26 years, the event was filled with stories that captivated fans worldwide.

But beyond the action on the track, this Grand Prix also generated significant buzz in the world of publishers and news platforms. This article takes a closer look at how U.K. publishers covered the event, which keywords generated rankings, and the key moments that shaped the narrative of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024.

This analysis is based on data from the Trisolute News Dashboard, focusing on the Mobile News Boxes in the U.K. during the timeframe from 5 December to 8 December. It’s lights out, and away we go:

Which Keywords Ranked During the Abu Dhabi GP?

Before diving into the top publishers as well as some specific moments during the Grand Prix, let’s take a look at the keywords that generated rankings for U.K. publishers during the race weekend:

Unsurprisingly, generally descriptive keywords like ‘f1’ and ‘abu dhabi’ ranked among the top keywords, reflecting the general interest in Formula 1 and the country-specific race as the season finale unfolded. Such generic terms tend to perform well during major events, as they attract a broad audience searching for race updates, results, and coverage.

Among the top-ranking keywords were also many driver-specific ones like ‘max verstappen’ who was already crowned world champion by the time of the Grand Prix; ‘lewis hamilton’ who completed his last race for Mercedes before moving to competitor Ferrari; and ‘george russell’, who was recently in the news for having a public feud with Max Verstappen. Out of the analysed keywords,  20 include only the driver’s last name (e.g., ‘norris’), while 14 include both the first and last name (e.g., ‘lando norris’). This reflects a common search behaviour, where readers often rely on last names for simplicity and brevity, especially for well-known figures like Hamilton or Verstappen. However, the use of full names typically aligns with more specific search intent, often related to events, milestones, or key moments tied to that person.

Who Dominated the Mobile News Box?

When it comes to visibility in the Mobile News Box during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024 in the U.K., based on the above-mentioned keywords, five publishers stood out as clear front-runners. These publishers were able to secure significant visibility at key moments throughout the weekend, ensuring they remained at the forefront of search results. The top 5 publishers and platforms, ranked by visibility, were:

1. Planet F1.com
2. Sky Sport.com
3. The Guardian.com
4. YouTube.com
5. Twitter.com

All of these publishers displayed distinct visibility patterns that aligned with the major events of the weekend. The chart below, taken from the Trisolute News Dashboard, illustrates the visibility trends for each publisher in the Mobile News Box from 5 December to 8 December. The red vertical lines in the chart mark the crucial moments of the Grand Prix weekend, namely the three free practices (FP1, FP2, FP3), the Qualifying, and the Grand Prix, which took place on 6, 7, and 8 December.

Visibility trends of the top 5 publishers in the Mobile News Box during the Abu Dhabi GP 2024

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix showcased distinct strategies among the top publishers and platforms, each with its own approach to ensure visibility. Planet F1.com, who took pole position this weekend, saw their peaks during the pre-race and post-Qualifying coverage, with visibility spikes on 5 December at 15:00 (pre-FP1/FP2) and 7 December from 15:00 to 20:00 after Qualifying. Sky Sports.com, who were in second place, had their peak visibility during Qualifying at 14:00 on 7 December as well as on race day at 13:00 and again at 21:00, suggesting live updates as well as post-race reflections by that publisher. The Guardian.com seems to have focused on pre-race coverage, with its visibility seeing various peaks throughout 5 December as well as the morning before the first two free practices. YouTube.com showed early activity on 6 December at 06:00 aligned with FP previews, while a larger spike occurred after Qualifying on 7 December from 17:00, reflecting demand for race highlights and replays. Lastly, Twitter.com seems to have dominated real-time reactions, with spikes on 5 December (pre-race reporting and discussions), just before Qualifying on 7 December, and again after the race.

What Were Some Key Events?

Tension Between Verstappen and Russell

The ongoing feud between Max Verstappen and George Russell following a controversial clash at the Qatar Grand Prix was still much talked about during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend. The tension began when Verstappen was penalised for driving too slowly on a cool-down lap, leading to an on-track incident with Russell and things publicly escalating afterwards, both between the drivers and their respective team principals, Christian Horner and Toto Wolff. The rivalry was still a major talking point of the weekend, reflected in the prominence of keywords like:

george russell max verstappen ; max verstappen ; max verstappen george russell ; russell verstappen ; verstappen george russell ; verstappen russell

Hamilton’s Last Race for Mercedes

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024 also marked the end of an era as Lewis Hamilton competed in his final race for Mercedes after 11 years with the team. Starting from P16 following an unfortunate Qualifying-result, Hamilton delivered a strong comeback, climbing up to finish P4 during the Grand Prix. The weekend was filled with emotion, as Hamilton reflected on his journey with Mercedes in a series of heartfelt social media posts and looked ahead to his future at Ferrari. Topical keywords in this case were:

hamilton mercedes ; lewis hamilton ferrari ; lewis hamilton mercedes ; mercedes lewis hamilton

Piastri and Verstappen Crash in the First Lap

The actual race on 8 December at the Yas Marina Circuit got off to a dramatic start as Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri collided on the very first lap. The collision forced both drivers to lose positions and posed a threat to McLaren’s chances of winning the Constructor’s Championship against Ferrari. The crash sparked intense media coverage, with keywords like:

abu dhabi piastri ; crash ; verstappen penalty

Leclerc’s Dramatic Climb

One of the standout performances of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix came from Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, who staged an impressive comeback from P19 to P3. Starting from the back of the grid due to penalties, Leclerc showcased exceptional racecraft, overtaking multiple rivals and securing a podium finish. His charge through the field was one of the weekend’s most talked-about moments, and keywords associated with this topic were:

abu dhabi gp leclerc ; charles leclerc ; leclerc ; leclerc grid

Norris Wins the Race, McLaren Wins the Constructor’s Championship

Despite Leclerc’s remarkable performance, it wasn’t enough to stop Lando Norris and McLaren from stealing the spotlight. Norris delivered a masterclass performance, leading the race from start to finish and securing McLaren’s first Constructor’s Championship in 26 years. This historic moment was covered with keywords like:

abu dhabi mclaren ; abu dhabi norris ; ferrari ; lando norris ; mclaren ; mclaren abu dhabi ; mclarren norris ; mclarren title ; norris ; title mclaren

Final thoughts

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