The forgettable farewells of Formula 1’s departing quartet

While much was made of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes finale and Carlos Sainz’s last race for Ferrari, four likely permanent Formula 1 farewells also took place at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – and sadly for those involved, none of them went particularly to plan.

There was very little fanfare, outside of their respective teams, for Franco Colapinto, Kevin Magnussen or the Sauber pair of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.

Magnussen is the only one who has firm plans moving forward but, after signing with BMW, they lay outside of F1 – while the remaining trio will have eyes on reserve drives for 2025.

Valtteri Bottas

The Finn, with 10 F1 wins under his belt from his Mercedes days, had held onto dwindling hopes he would be retained by Sauber for 2025 – only to eventually lose out to incoming rookie Gabriel Bortoleto.

What could yet prove to be his final year in Formula 1 ended up being his worst as he failed to score a single point for the first time in his career, let down for the majority of the campaign by his machinery.

That changed in the final three races of the year following a floor upgrade but even then Bottas struggled and, having qualified ninth in Abu Dhabi, endured a tough race.

Having collided with Sergio Perez to aid the Mexican’s early retirement from the race, Bottas earned himself two penalty points and a 10-second penalty which dropped down the pack.

He never really recovered before a late lock-up saw him crash into Magnussen – an incident which ended his grand prix on lap 30 and subsequently led to a five-place grid penalty at his next race, should that ever come to pass.

“It’s a shame, but it’s not the first disappointment. I’m actually relieved that this era of my career is over, and I was really, really looking ahead and going to work hard and trying to make the best plan how to be back on the grid,” Bottas said after the race as he targets a return in 2026, with a Mercedes reserve seat looking like his destination in the meantime.

Franco Colapinto

Franco Colapinto, Williams FW46

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Having burst onto the scene in a haze of speed and expectation, Colapinto’s star burned brightly before quickly dimming enough to extinguish any hopes of a 2025 seat.

Replacing Logan Sargeant, the Argentinian carried the weight of a nation on his shoulders and early comparisons to compatriot Lionel Messi were soon replaced by races that were messy.

Debuting at the Italian Grand Prix, the rookie looked an instant upgrade on the beleaguered Sargeant as he recovered from a disappointing qualifying to finish 12th, backing up the clamour around him by taking his first points after coming home eighth in Baku.

He would take another point at the United States Grand Prix as his promising start piqued the interest of the Red Bull stable, especially with there being no room at Williams in 2025 with Alex Albon and Sainz already confirmed.

However, things began to rapidly fall apart, in particular his Williams car, which he crashed in difficult conditions at the Brazilian Grand Prix and then again in Las Vegas before retiring from the final two races of the season, having been hit from behind by Oscar Piastri at Yas Marina.

He now looks set to revert back to his reserve role with Williams for next season, although he is keen to be behind the wheel in anger: “No plans at the moment and hopefully I can be racing in something next year,” he said in Abu Dhabi.

“It just hasn’t been the end of the season I wanted but it’s part of Formula 1. It still was my dream come true, and it was an amazing experience, but I would like much more if we would’ve ended as we started, but it’s F1.”

Kevin Magnussen

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

It was confirmed in the week preceding the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that Magnussen will join BMW to race its M Hybrid V8 LMDh car next year.

At this stage, it was clear the Dane was saying a firmer farewell to F1 than most of his counterparts at Yas Marina.

However, he was also the only driver of the quartet listed here who had something on the line, with Haas hoping to chase down Alpine and leapfrog their rivals to claim sixth spot in the constructors’ championship.

It was not to be as Pierre Gasly’s seventh place proved enough to keep Alpine clear and, while team-mate Nico Hulkenberg came home eighth, things were not as straightforward for Magnussen.

Having ruined Hamilton’s final qualifying for Mercedes by knocking a bollard into the path of the seven-time world champion, Magnussen qualified out of position down in 15th, but things were looking up when he stormed off the line to move up as high as seventh.

It would not last as, following his second scheduled pit stop, he was spun off following the contact with Bottas, ruining his chances of a points finish.

He did pit again and take the fastest lap of the race, at least, before departing off into the desert sunset.

“It’s not the way I wanted to end the season, but we gave it a go, I tried something special on that first lap and went for it – gaining seven positions,” he said.

“Since returning, I think we’ve managed to turn the team around and get it on the right track, especially in the last half of this year, and I’m proud of that.

“I was a small kid dreaming about Formula 1 25 years ago, and I managed to get 10 years in the sport I was desperately dreaming to be a part of – it’s been a privilege.”

Zhou Guanyu

Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

Heading to Abu Dhabi, Zhou would have been filled with more confidence than at any other point of a difficult season both personally and for the ailing Sauber squad.

Buoyed by taking the team’s first points of the year courtesy of an eighth-place finish in Qatar a week earlier, the Chinese would have been aiming to add to that in his final outing for Sauber.

Instead, it was a return to business as usual for the 2024 season with Zhou qualifying down in 17th and then gaining some ground before a 5-second penalty for a false start checked any progress.

Having finished 13th, Zhou is now already looking ahead to 2025 where a role with Ferrari could be in the offing.

“It was great to score some points for the team at least and now of course, try to see what the next chapter is for me,” he said.

“There is potential interest from different teams and we are going through it, making sure that I am happy in whatever place I am. We’ll keep working on a comeback to the grid for a drive because that is all I want to do – you don’t want to keep sitting around.

“It was great to score some points for the team at least and now, of course, try to see what the next chapter is for me.

“Thanks to the team for the last few years and also Valtteri will be missed as my team-mate, so hopefully in the future, we can be racing together.”

“Whatever I do. I’m making sure I’m in a place that feels promising for the future and then hopefully, a drive for ’26.”