MADRID.– British driver Lando Norris (McLaren) arrives as the leader of the Formula One World Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the last race of the 2025 season, with his sights set on his first world title. However, his teammate Oscar Piastri and the current four-time champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) keep their options alive in a historic closing at the Yas Marina circuit.
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Norris leads the standings with
408 points, 12 more than Verstappen (396) and 16 over Piastri (392). McLaren already secured the constructors’ championship two months ago in Singapore, but now faces maximum pressure: to define a title that for months seemed to be in the hands of its pair of drivers.
Norris: Title Within Reach
A 25-year-old Lando Norris only needs to finish in the
podium to secure the championship. Even a fifth place would be enough if Verstappen doesn’t win the race. If the Dutchman wins, the Briton must finish
fourth or better to prevent the four-time champion from retaining his crown.
Piastri, the surprise that wants to make history
Australian
Oscar Piastri, 24 years old, can still become his country’s first world champion since
Alan Jones (1980). To do this, he must win on Sunday and hope that Norris does not exceed sixth place. A second place would give him the title only if Lando finishes tenth or worse and Verstappen does not pass fourth.
Verstappen, seeking a miracle
After an irregular start and seeing McLaren dominate large phases of the championship, Verstappen resurfaced from the Italian Grand Prix and has won
five of the last eight races. The Dutchman arrives launched after winning in Qatar and reaching
70 career victories, the third-best historical record.
To be proclaimed champion for the fifth consecutive time, he must win in Abu Dhabi and hope that Norris does not improve on fourth position.
A World Cup on fire
The last two Grand Prix added drama to the definition: the disqualification of both McLarens in Las Vegas and a strategic failure in Qatar completely reopened the fight for the title.
In Lusail, Piastri won the sprint, but Verstappen took the main race, while Spaniard
Carlos Sainz (Williams) completed the podium and added his second third place of the year. His compatriot
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) finished seventh in Qatar and hopes to end a difficult season for his team.
What’s coming in Yas Marina
Mexican
Pato O’Ward will replace Piastri in Friday’s first free practice session. The tests will continue on Saturday, before the qualifying session that will seal the starting grid for Sunday’s race, agreed to
58 laps.
It will be only the second time in 15 years that the title is decided between
three drivers in the last race. The previous one was in 2010, also in Abu Dhabi.
A Verstappen victory that gives him the title would mean one of the greatest comebacks in Formula One history. In the event of a McLaren stumble, it could be one of the biggest debacles for a leading team in the final phase of the championship.
