The 2025 Formula 1 season began back on 16 March in Melbourne, Australia, and reached its finale in Abu Dhabi today, with this year’s superb battle to become the new world champion between McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri plus Red Bull’s Max Verstappen going right down to the wire. Ultimately it was to be Verstappen who won comfortably again at the Yas Marina circuit, but third place for Norris was sufficient for him to seal his first F1 Drivers’ title.

Verstappen advanced to the second position in the Drivers' title race at the previous round in Qatar a week ago. Prior to today's race, Red Bull's team principal, Laurent Mekies, outlined a straightforward strategy: to position the Dutch four-time champion in a position to secure another victory. Beyond this, they would simply observe the uncontrollable events that would determine the final outcome. However, Norris had arrived in Abu Dhabi with a 12-point advantage over Verstappen and a further four over his teammate, and the 26-year-old knew that he was very well placed to win the Drivers’ title, even if McLaren faced a more complex strategic situation about whether to favour one of its two drivers with potential team orders. Appropriately, all three leading drivers had been mandated to appear together in Thursday’s official press conference, and, amusingly, all three tried to appear the most nonchalant about their title prospects!

Nine promising rookie drivers had relished the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a current F1 car in Friday’s opening free practice session as part of this season’s regulations in this respect, and the list included Arthur Leclerc taking over Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari for the hour alongside his brother Charles in the other red car. Red Bull also ran Arvid Lindblad, who will race for Racing Bulls next year, and Aston Martin gave a chance to Jak Crawford and Cian Shields.

Norris had led the way in first and second practice before Mercedes’ George Russell topped the timing screens for the final session, which had to be red-flagged at its mid-point after Hamilton had spun and hit the trackside barriers at Turn 9. Come the all-important qualifying hour ahead of today’s title-deciding Grand Prix, there was further embarrassment for Hamilton as he was eliminated in the first Q1 element for a fourth race in a row, whereas his teammate Leclerc at least earned fifth on the grid for the iconic Scuderia. Verstappen, ahead of him, displayed a virtuoso performance to secure pole position, while Norris, Piastri, and Russell secured the best positions among the rest.

So, it was an amazing spectacle, which could not have been scripted any better, as the three title contenders lined up as the top three on the grid for the final Grand Prix of the year, and, when those famous five red lights were extinguished for the last time this season, it was Verstappen who sprinted into an immediate lead, as Piastri swept past Norris at Turn 9 into second position.

As the tense battle unfolded, Leclerc emerged as the primary threat to Norris before the pit stops commenced. All the leading contenders took on fresh tyres apart from Piastri, who continued when Verstappen pitted on lap 24 and inherited the lead. Leclerc and Norris subsequently pitted a second time, and Verstappen regained the lead from Piastri on the 41st tour, just before the Australian eventually made his one and only trip down the pit lane.

With the race reaching its closing stages, third-placed Norris was fully aware that this would make him the world champion, although dropping to fourth behind the chasing Leclerc would have made Verstappen champion for a fifth time instead. However, the threat posed by the Ferrari driver faded, and, as the chequered flag showed, the podium trio was comprised of Verstappen, Piastri, and Norris, with the latter understandably very emotional and shedding plenty of tears. This made him the 11th British Formula 1 world champion in the 75-year history of the sport. Leclerc, Russell and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso completed the top sextet of finishers as the multi-coloured fireworks exploded above the start-finish straight.

We’ve now reached the end of another highly exciting Formula 1 campaign, which has included so many unpredictable twists and turns plus drama aplenty, and it will now be time for most people involved to take a well-earned short winter break. The close season will, however, be much more limited than in previous years, as the extensive technical changes being introduced with effect from 2026 mean that the start of team launches and pre-season testing before the opening Grand Prix will happen noticeably earlier than in the past. If you thought 2025 was a great year for F1, just wait for what 2026 should have in store for us all.

2025 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
1 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1hr26m7.469s
2 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +12.594s
3 Lando Norris (McLaren) +16.572s
4 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +23.279s
5 George Russell (Mercedes) +48.563s
6 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +1m7.572s
7 Esteban Ocon (Haas) +1m9.876s
8 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +1m12.670s
9 Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) +1m19.014s
10 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +1m19.523s
11 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) +1m21.043s
12 Oliver Bearman (Haas) +1m21.166s
13 Carlos Sainz (Williams) +1m22.158s
14 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +1m23.794s
15 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +1m24.399s
16 Alex Albon (Williams) +1m30.327s
17 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) Lapped
18 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) Lapped
19 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) Lapped
20 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) Lapped

2025 Drivers’ Championship
1 Lando Norris 423
2 Max Verstappen 421
3 Oscar Piastri 410
4 George Russell 319
5 Charles Leclerc 242
6 Lewis Hamilton 156
7 Kimi Antonelli 150
8 Alex Albon 73
9 Carlos Sainz 64
10 Fernando Alonso 56
11 Nico Hülkenberg 51
12 Isack Hadjar 51
13 Oliver Bearman 41
14 Liam Lawson 38
15 Esteban Ocon 38
16 Lance Stroll 33
17 Yuki Tsunoda 33
18 Pierre Gasly 22
19 Gabriel Bortoleto 19
20 Franco Colapinto 0
21 Jack Doohan 0



2025 Constructors’ Championship
1 McLaren 833
2 Mercedes 469
3 Red Bull 451
4 Ferrari 398
5 Williams 137
6 Racing Bulls 92
7 Aston Martin 89
8 Haas 79
9 Sauber 70
10 Alpine 22