Abu Dhabi GP: Max Verstappen wins, Lando Norris is crowned world champion!

They will have tried everything, from Milton Keynes à Maranello via BrackleyBut nothing worked. Allies of circumstance – some seeking a title for Max Verstappenthe others are looking for a podium finish for Charles Leclerc and George Russell – Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes had to bow down to McLaren, who secures his first Drivers' title since 2007.

In the record of the Woking team, Lando Norris succeeds Lewis Hamilton, champion in 2007. The Briton managed his race with mastery and intelligence to finish 3rd, which was enough to secure him the title regardless of Max Verstappen's results and Oscar piastriThe two pursuers tried everything: Verstappen, first of all, took advantage of his pole position to get a flying start and lead a solitary Grand Prix. His 71st victory in Formula 1 made him the most successful driver of the season (8 against 7 for McLaren), but in vain: he lost the title by two points.

Oscar Piastri also played his hand: starting on hard tires against mediums for Norris and Verstappen, the Australian quickly overtook his teammate, taking second place before making his only pit stop 15 laps from the finish. The Melbourne native tried everything to deny Max Verstappen the victory, but the gap was too large.

Lando Norris crowned champion despite Charles Leclerc's resistance

One of the key players in this Grand Prix was Charles Leclerc, who made an excellent start and quickly moved up to fourth. The Monegasque driver pushed hard at the beginning of the race, trying to take third place from Lando Norris, which would have cost him the title. He closed the gap on the final stint and gave it his all, but had to settle for fourth, failing to secure his eighth podium finish of the season.

The Ferrari was performing brilliantly on Sunday, and this also allowed Lewis Hamilton, who started 16th on the grid, to make a remarkable comeback. The Briton secured 8th position thanks to an aggressive two-stop strategy. He is close behind Fernando Alonso, 6th, which gives 7th place in the Constructors' Championship to Aston Martin, and Esteban Ocon7th. The Norman driver put up a good fight against the Ferrari at the end of the race and could have allowed Haas to overtake Aston Martin without the fine performance of Fernando Alonso and Lance stroll (9th). Especially since the American team also placed both its cars in the points with Oliver Bearman's 10th place.

Racing Bulls maintains its 6th place in the Constructors' Championship despite a particularly painful Grand Prix for Isack Hadjar, who finished only 17th after starting 9th, and Liam Lawson, who finished 18th. Red Bull's B team remains 6th by just two points. Alpinethe engine's last Renault It was not much more glorious: the French finished 19th and 20th and completed a difficult season while waiting for better days, promised by the 2026 regulations.

This long-awaited new season, the 77th in the history of Formula 1, will begin in the coming days with the post-season tests, still in Abu Dhabi.

ALSO READ > Relive the 2025 Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix with live text commentary

F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The classification of the race