Back At Base S2: 8. The Search For Perfection

In the desert kingdom of Abu Dhabi, the sun is about to set on a record-breaking Formula 1 season. After an intense battle across 23 races, just one will now decide which team will be crowned World Champions. Formula 1’s oldest rivals, McLaren and Ferrari are, once again, pitted against one another in a title fight. The Scuderia have 31 titles and McLaren 20 – but only one of them will claim the Constructors’ crown in Abu Dhabi to add to their tally.

The pressure is on McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Norris, fresh from his fight with Max Verstappen, must now keep his Ferrari rivals, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, at bay. The British star will need all the help he can get from his teammate Oscar Piastri as both of them must work together to bring the Constructors’ Championship back to McLaren for the first time since 1998. McLaren are protecting a 21-point lead at the top of the table – and to win they must outscore Ferrari by 15 points. F1 experts Sarah Holt and Holly Samos speak to the McLaren drivers on the eve of the biggest race of their lives. McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Team Principal Andrea Stella can only watch from the pit wall, the team’s fate now out of their hands.

The nerves are also building back at base. McLaren’s Championship push is also the work of the hundreds of staff working at the factory, many of whom we have met during this series. If McLaren can win the title, it will have been fuelled by people power. When our guides Sarah Holt and Holly Samos return to the McLaren Technology Centre for a final time, will there be celebrations or commiserations?

At Aston Martin, the team is preparing to reveal the final part of the puzzle that will complete the transformation of its Formula 1 factory. After opening the doors to our series for unprecedented VIP access to its factory, Aston Martin has cut the ribbon on new buildings and facilities - and announced major new signings. There is now one final revelation which the team hopes will set them on the road to becoming champions. The ambition to return to the front of the grid is also shared by drivers Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso.

The curtain is about to fall on the 2024 Formula 1 season. A rollercoaster ride through 24 grands prix across the world. Now, the teams and drivers are going into hibernation - before the quest to become the best in F1 begins again in 2025.

F1: Back at Base is an IMG Production for the BBC Hosted by Josh Hartnett Co-hosts & Executive Producers are Holly Samos and Sarah Holt The Producers are Alasdair Cresswell, Joe Aldridge and Jack Winstanley The Senior Producer is Ollie Kneen The Executive Producer for IMG is Steve Tebb The Story Editor and Scriptwriter is Sarah Holt The Showrunner is Holly Samos The Commissioning Editor at the BBC is Stevie Middleton