It was an emotional evening across the grid at Yas Marina, with a host of drivers making their final appearances for their respective teams.
Lewis Hamilton bid farewell to the squad with whom he won six of his seven world titles, with the Mercedes legend set to make the move to Ferrari from next season.
10-time race winner caught in awkward moment
The man he is replacing at the Scuderia, Carlos Sainz, bowed out in style, clinching second spot ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc and providing some much-needed cause for optimism amongst his new colleagues at Williams.
It remains to be seen if Sergio Perez will return for Red Bull next year, with the Mexican's miserable season compounded on Sunday with a fifth DNF since mid-May.
There were also a number of racers perhaps making their final appearance in the sport altogether, including Haas veteran Kevin Magnussen and Sauber's Valtteri Bottas, both of whom have no spot on the grid for 2025.
Aged 35, Bottas' chances of a return to the top tier appear slim, but the Finn has no intention of retiring from racing just yet having recently confirmed his participation in next year's Race of Champions in Sydney.
But this new chapter has got off to a somewhat rocky start, after he was pulled over by law enforcement while enjoying an off-season drive with girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell.
In a clip posted to Instagram, Bottas was filmed in the driver's seat of his car, before pointing to the right wing mirror, where a police officer was standing next to his own vehicle stationed behind the Finn's.