2025 Abu Dhabi Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

For the first time in a generation, the 2025 F1 World Championship reached its final act with three drivers still alive in the hunt — a scenario not seen for 15 years. Abu Dhabi had staged many season-defining moments, but never with tension quite like this. Lando Norris arrived at Yas Marina with a slender cushion over Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, leading by 12 points and 16 points respectively. On paper, a podium sealed it for Norris. In reality, this title fight had been anything but predictable — strategy gambles, technical storms, and razor-thin margins have shaped the season, leaving the sport’s biggest prize within touching distance for three drivers yet far from guaranteed.

The path to the finale in recent rounds had been sculpted by drama. A costly disqualification in Las Vegas rewrote the momentum, stripping the McLarens of valuable points. Then came Qatar — a masterclass in strategic divergence where McLaren fumbled and Red Bull, with Max Verstappen, capitalised. And so we arrived in Abu Dhabi with history poised on a knife-edge. Three title contenders, one race, and one champion to be crowned — Formula 1 hadn’t felt as electric as this in years.

Pole position
Driver	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
Time	1:22.207
Fastest lap
Driver	Charles Leclerc	1:26.725 on lap 46
Time	Ferrari
Podium
First	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
Second	Oscar Piastri	McLaren
Third	Lando Norris	McLaren

Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit had evolved into one of Formula 1’s standout finales — a sleek, neon-wrapped purpose-built track. The layout revisions introduced in 2021 transformed the venue from stop-start to flow and aggression, replacing fiddly chicanes with fast, sweeping radius corners designed to let cars follow more closely across its 3.281-mile lap. That evolution mattered now more than ever, with three title contenders about to throw everything at a circuit built for risk.

Overtaking remained a calculated art rather than a guarantee, but if a move is coming, you’d see it at Turn Six or Turn Nine — the big braking zones that crown the back-straight duels and often decide races under the spotlight. From there, the lap tightened into the technical, downforce-hungry final sector, where balance, tyre life and confidence through the long right-handers can make or break a stint. A perfect Yas Marina lap demands patience on the throttle and bravery on the brakes — exactly the blueprint a championship shootout deserves.

The weather wouldn’t play a wildcard here. Abu Dhabi was set for its signature desert calm, with no rain expected and track temperatures peaking around 28°C during daylight running. As the sun drops and the floodlights take over, the circuit would cool to around 23°C for qualifying and race conditions — a swing that sharpens grip, energises tyres, and can flip the competitive order session to session.

Yas Marina Circuit Stats

Ahead of the 2025 race, Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit entered its 17th straight year as host of the season finale — a tradition that began in 2009 when Sebastian Vettel claimed victory in the inaugural race and signalled the dawn of his Red Bull-powered rise. Since then, the circuit has become synonymous with championship climaxes and historical turning points, and its record book reflects the dominance of F1’s modern greats.

Lewis Hamilton remained the benchmark in the Emirates, owning five wins and five pole positions at Yas Marina up until the 2025 race weekend — a tally no one had yet surpassed. But that could change over the weekend. Max Verstappen arrived on four victories and had the chance to draw level with Hamilton, further cementing the circuit as a defining stage in his career. Red Bull, meanwhile, led the way among teams with seven wins at this venue, with Mercedes just one behind. Their duel at the track had shaped more than a decade of Formula 1, including the unforgettable 2021 finale: the day Mercedes clinched their eighth Constructors’ Championship and Verstappen captured his first Drivers’ crown in one of the most dramatic and controversial conclusions in F1 history.

Final Race Stats

• Final race in this era of ground effect cars.
• Final race with the current V6 Hybrid engines.
• The last ever race with DRS.
• Honda‘s last race with Racing Bulls and Red Bull Racing before supplying Aston Martin in 2026.
• The final race for the Sauber name as they become Audi in 2026.
• Renault‘s last race as an engine supplier, as Alpine move to use Mercedes power units in 2026.
• Yuki Tsunoda‘s last race in F1.
• The last race with 20 cars on the grid, with Cadillac joining in 2026.

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
5 December 2025	Free Practice 1 (FP1)	1:30 pm – 2:30 pm local time
5 December 2025	Free Practice 2 (FP2)	5:00 pm – 6:00 pm local time
6 December 2025	Free Practice 3 (FP3)	2:30 pm – 3:30 pm local time
6 December 2025	Qualifying	6:00 pm – 7:00 pm local time
7 December 2025	Race	5:00 pm local time

In Saturday qualifying, Max Verstappen claimed a crucial pole in Abu Dhabi with a 1:22.207, leading title rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in a top-three-title-contender lockout for the championship fight. George Russell took P4 and Charles Leclerc P5, while Lewis Hamilton suffered another setback with a Q1 exit, lining up 16th for the season finale.

Verstappen converted pole into a win on Sunday, with Oscar Piastri taking P2 after overtaking Norris early in the race. Despite finishing third, McLaren driver Lando Norris took his maiden World Championship title. From a recovery after his DNF in Zandvoort, he was 34 points behind his teammate Oscar Piastri, closed the gap, never gave up, and took the title for McLaren, ending Max Verstappen’s hold on the Championship that he had secured four years in a row. Verstappen took the crown of most wins of the season, with eight, winning the final three races of the season.

Championship background

In the final round of 2025, Lando Norris entered the Abu Dhabi curtain-closer holding the cards — 12 points clear of Max Verstappen and 16 ahead of Oscar Piastri — with mathematics suggesting that a simple podium would crown him world champion. But Formula 1 seldom deals in simplicity. One lock-up, one safety-car twist, one strategy misread, and everything would change. Verstappen and Piastri knew that only victory would realistically keep their hopes alive, each needing not only perfection but a slice of fortune — or misfortune for the Norris ahead — to flip this title on its head in the final hour of the season.

Beyond the drivers’ war was another duel simmering beneath the spotlight. McLaren had already wrapped up the 2025 Constructors’ Championship, but the fight for the second step of the table remained tense: Mercedes carried a 33-point advantage over Red Bull as they arrived at Yas Marina, each hungry to end the year with momentum heading into the unknown. Because Abu Dhabi wasn’t just a finale — it was the end of an era. These were the final laps for the current generation of cars before the 2026 regulations swept in, threatening to reshape the hierarchy and close — or widen — the gaps we’d come to know.

Race entries

The lineup of drivers and teams remained the same as the 2025 season’s entry list, apart from:

• A driver swap at the sister teams, Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, where Yuki Tsunoda moved up to the parent Red Bull team and Liam Lawson headed in the opposite direction back to Racing Bulls, for round three at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.
• Jack Doohan stepping out of the race seat at Alpine (post Miami), beginning with the following round, the 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The team confirmed that former Williams and Alpine reserve driver, Franco Colapinto, would take his place alongside number one driver, Pierre Gasly.

FP1 Changes

The final race weekend of the season began with a distinctly developmental flavour as multiple teams handed their cars to young talent for the opening practice session. Aston Martin fielded Scottish prospect Cian Shields, who stepped into Fernando Alonso’s seat for his Formula 1 weekend debut. Shields, who had been battling Jak Crawford in Formula 2 in 2025, would share the track with his championship rival as Aston Martin completed its final mandatory rookie FP1 requirement. Crawford would be stepping into Lance Stroll‘s car for the session.

But the rookie rule had bigger implications at the sharp end of the championship fight. Oscar Piastri would go into the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with one hour less practice than his rivals. McLaren still had to fulfil their final rookie session of the season, meaning Pato O’Ward would take the wheel of Piastri’s MCL39 in FP1. For Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, uninterrupted preparation added welcome stability heading into the most consequential weekend of the year. For Piastri, it was a small but real handicap — a lost hour of track time that could influence setup work and race trim refinement in a weekend where every detail carried championship weight.

Arther Leclerc, younger brother of Charles Leclerc, would also step in during FP1, taking Lewis Hamilton‘s car at Ferrari, for the second year running. In 2024, the duo took to the track together with Arthur finishing FP1 in P18, 1.858s behind Charles.

Ayumu Iwasa would be in the car for Racing Bulls, taking on Liam Lawson‘s car, alongside fellow ex-F2 talent Paul Aron at Alpine for Pierre Gasly, while Luke Browning would be driving for Williams, in Alex Albon‘s car. New signing Arvid Lindblad would drive Yuki Tsunoda‘s car at Red Bull, and finally Ryo Hirakawa for Haas in Esteban Ocon‘s car.

• 

  Red Bull and Racing Bulls 2026 Driver Lineup Revealed

Aside from these changes, all the drivers from the start of the season took to the track during FP1, FP2, FP3, Qualifying, and the Grand Prix.

Tyre choices

Pirelli brought its familiar season-ending selection to Abu Dhabi: the C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium) and C5 (Soft). This trio had become the standard for Yas Marina, offering a predictable baseline but still leaving room for strategic creativity. Traditionally, the circuit had been known for tyre graining — especially in the cooler night sessions — but last season signalled a shift. The current construction had shown improved resistance, and graining had become far less defining than in earlier years. That opened an intriguing possibility: the C5 Soft, once reserved almost exclusively for qualifying, might finally become a viable ingredient in race strategy rather than a luxury compound for short bursts of performance.

Tyre wear at the circuit had been driven primarily by thermal degradation, with the rear tyres taking the brunt of the punishment. The traction zones in the final sector, where slow-corner exits were critical, loaded up the rubber and tested a car’s balance over a long stint. Managing those rear temperatures — especially as the track cooled under the floodlights — would be central to how aggressively teams could attack their race plans.

In 2024, the strategic picture was clear: almost the entire grid started on the Medium (C4), with Lewis Hamilton the lone outlier opting for the Hard (C3) at the start. The one-stop proved the gold-standard approach, with drivers transitioning to the Hard for the final stint. Among the top ten, only Fernando Alonso committed to a two-stop strategy, while just one driver ran the Soft during the race — purely to chase the fastest lap. Graining was minimal, degradation manageable, and even those who pitted before halfway comfortably made a two-stint race work.

In 2025, with championship pressure at maximum and tyre behaviour evolving, the strategic window could widen. Teams would be watching track evolution closely — and for Norris, Verstappen and Piastri, getting the compound calls right could make the difference between glory and heartbreak.

FIND OUT MORE

• 

  F1 Tyres: An Ultimate Guide to How They Work

• 

  The History of Pirelli Tyres in Formula 1

Free Practice

Lando Norris kicked off the Abu Dhabi title showdown by setting the fastest time in FP1, just 0.008s ahead of Max Verstappen, with Charles Leclerc third. The session featured nine rookies as teams completed mandatory FP1 outings, including Pato O’Ward replacing Oscar Piastri, costing the championship contender valuable track time. Arvid Lindblad also took to a Red Bull seat ahead of his Racing Bulls debut in 2026, while Ollie Bearman’s running ended early due to a sensor issue on his Haas.

Norris completed a clean sweep of Friday practice by topping FP2 in Abu Dhabi, beating Max Verstappen by 0.363s as George Russell took third. After sitting out FP1, Oscar Piastri returned to action but could only manage 11th, while rookie standout Ollie Bearman led a strong showing for Haas and Sauber under the floodlights in P4.

George Russell beat Lando Norris by just 0.004s to top FP3 in Abu Dhabi, with Max Verstappen third, after Lewis Hamilton crashed into the barriers at Turn 9. Oscar Piastri recovered to fifth in a field where just 0.388s covered the top 10 ahead of the title-defining qualifying session.

Full Free Practice Reports

• 

  2025 Abu Dhabi GP FP1: Norris edges Verstappen as rookies flood the field

• 

  2025 Abu Dhabi GP FP2: Norris stays on top under the lights

• 

  2025 Abu Dhabi GP FP3: Russell snatches P1 as Hamilton crashes

Free Practice 1 Classification

FP1 of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held on 5 December 2025 from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:24.485	28
2	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.008s	30
3	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.016s	28
4	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.123s	30
5	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	+0.144s	28
6	63	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.248s	29
7	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	+0.257s	29
8	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+0.274s	14
9	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+0.286s	27
10	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+0.370s	28
11	50	Ryo Hirakawa	Haas F1 Team	+0.449s	28
12	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	+0.492s	31
13	61	Paul Aron	Alpine	+0.719s	27
14	89	Patricio O’Ward	McLaren	+0.761s	28
15	36	Arvid Lindblad	Red Bull Racing	+0.771s	26
16	39	Arthur Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.875s	27
17	40	Ayumu Iwasa	Racing Bulls	+0.990s	30
18	46	Luke Browning	Williams	+1.005s	18
19	35	Jak Crawford	Aston Martin	+1.404s	24
20	34	Cian Shields	Aston Martin	+1.947s	22

Free Practice 2 Classification

FP2 of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held on 5 December 2025 from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:23.083	28
2	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.363s	31
3	63	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.379s	29
4	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+0.418s	28
5	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	+0.467s	28
6	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	+0.487s	28
7	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	+0.574s	29
8	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.575s	31
9	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+0.625s	27
10	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.667s	29
11	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.680s	29
12	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+0.749s	29
13	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+0.789s	31
14	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.856s	29
15	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+0.867s	32
16	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	+0.875s	27
17	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	+1.220s	29
18	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+1.391s	32
19	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+1.688s	28
20	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.880s	30

Free Practice 3 Classification

FP3 of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held on 6 December 2025 from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:23.334	14
2	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.004s	20
3	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.124s	15
4	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+0.251s	17
5	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.259s	17
6	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	+0.271s	19
7	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+0.275s	16
8	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.341s	18
9	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.373s	14
10	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+0.388s	18
11	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	+0.457s	16
12	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+0.477s	18
13	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	+0.536s	17
14	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+0.561s	19
15	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+0.613s	16
16	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	+0.645s	17
17	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+0.738s	19
18	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+1.136s	8
19	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+1.167s	18
20	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	+1.359s	10

Qualifying

Max Verstappen seized a hugely important pole for the championship finale in Abu Dhabi, denying both McLarens with a final-run lap of 1:22.207. Lando Norris fell short by 0.201s in P2 while Oscar Piastri joined the title-contending trio in third.

Mercedes and Ferrari followed, with George Russell locking in P4 and Charles Leclerc P5, as Fernando Alonso’s strong weekend continued with sixth for Aston Martin. Kick Sauber impressed again thanks to Gabriel Bortoleto in P7, ahead of Esteban Ocon, Isack Hadjar and Yuki Tsunoda, who rounded out the top 10 in his final qualifying for Red Bull.

The biggest shock came in Q1 as Lewis Hamilton failed to escape the drop zone again after his earlier crash in FP3, leaving him 16th for the Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz, Liam Lawson and Kimi Antonelli also missed Q3, setting up a mixed-up grid behind the three championship protagonists heading into Sunday’s showdown.

Full Qualifying Report

• 

  2025 Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying: Verstappen delivers pole Ahead of Norris and Piastri

Qualifying Classification

Qualifying for the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held on 6 December 20255 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:22.877	1:22.752	1:22.207	18
2	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:23.178	1:22.804	1:22.408	17
3	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:22.605	1:23.021	1:22.437	17
4	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:23.247	1:22.730	1:22.645	18
5	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:23.163	1:22.948	1:22.730	18
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:23.071	1:22.861	1:22.902	18
7	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	1:23.374	1:22.874	1:22.904	21
8	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	1:23.334	1:23.023	1:22.913	18
9	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	1:23.373	1:22.997	1:23.072	18
10	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	1:23.386	1:23.034		17
11	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	1:23.254	1:23.041		11
12	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	1:23.187	1:23.042		12
13	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:23.265	1:23.077		14
14	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:22.894	1:23.080		12
15	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:23.316	1:23.097		15
16	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:23.394			9
17	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	1:23.416			6
18	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	1:23.450			9
19	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:23.468			9
20	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:23.890			9

2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Starting Grid

The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Qualifying session.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Quali Time	Laps
1	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:22.207	18
2	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:22.408	17
3	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:22.437	17
4	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:22.645	18
5	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:22.730	18
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:22.902	18
7	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	1:22.904	21
8	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	1:22.913	18
9	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	1:23.072	18
10	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	1:23.034	17
11	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	1:23.041	11
12	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	1:23.042	12
13	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:23.077	14
14	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:23.080	12
15	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:23.097	15
16	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:23.394	9
17	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	1:23.416	6
18	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	1:23.450	9
19	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:23.468	9
20	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:23.890	9

What happened in the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?

Lando Norris had done it. Under the lights of Yas Marina, in the most high-pressure night of his racing life, the Briton brought his McLaren home in third place — the result he needed to finally seal the 2025 F1 World Championship. With Max Verstappen winning the race and Oscar Piastri chasing him home in second, the trio who have defined this season crossed the line nose-to-tail on the biggest night of all.

Starting from P2, wedged between his title rivals, Norris knew the mission was simple: finish on the podium and the crown was his. But Abu Dhabi made him earn every inch of it. A bold Piastri lunge on lap one shuffled Norris down to third, and from there he had to absorb relentless pressure — from Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, from traffic after the first round of stops, and from an elbows-out clash with Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull as tyre strategies diverged.

Still, Norris stayed ice-cold. Every attack repelled, every moment managed, every point protected. When the chequered flag fell, Verstappen claimed his ninth win of the year, Piastri completed a McLaren 2–3 — and Norris completed the journey he began as a rookie with a nervous laugh on a Bahrain grid. At season’s end, just two points separated Norris and Verstappen in the standings — and Piastri ended 11 points further back in a championship fight for the ages.

Behind the title trio, Leclerc delivered a spirited P4, around seven seconds shy of depriving Norris of breathing room. George Russell led Mercedes home in fifth, ahead of Fernando Alonso’s flying Aston Martin. The aggressive duel between Esteban Ocon and Lewis Hamilton provided late entertainment, Hamilton’s recovery drive pushing him into eighth.

Nico Hulkenberg, celebrating his 250th Grand Prix, clawed his way into ninth for Kick Sauber, while Lance Stroll claimed the final point in P10 despite a penalty for erratic defending. Gabriel Bortoleto and Ollie Bearman followed, the latter also receiving a late penalty for excessive weaving in battle.

Further back, Carlos Sainz finished 13th for Williams ahead of Tsunoda, whose five-second penalty for his mid-race scrap with Norris dropped him to 14th. Kimi Antonelli took 15th, followed by Alex Albon, penalised for speeding in the pit lane, and the Racing Bulls pairing of Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson — Lawson receiving a penalty of his own after a clash with Bearman.

As had become their 2025 signature, Alpine rounded out the order: Pierre Gasly ahead of Franco Colapinto, both hampered by track-limits penalties in their final outing of the season.

In the end, Yas Marina crowned a new name — a champion built on resilience, speed, and a campaign of defining moments. Max Verstappen took the victory. Oscar Piastri fought to the finish. But Lando Norris — finally, deservedly — was a Formula 1 world champion. F1’s 35th World Champion and 11th from Britain, and 8th for the McLaren team.

Lap-by-lap drama as Norris sealed the 2025 F1 World Championship in Abu Dhabi

After 23 rounds of twists, tension and breathtaking racing, it all came down to one final night at Yas Marina. Three drivers remained in contention for the 2025 F1 World Championship, with 58 laps left to decide whether it would belong to Lando Norris, Max Verstappen or Oscar Piastri.

Norris entered the weekend with the upper hand — 12 points ahead of Verstappen and 16 clear of Piastri — but Verstappen shifted the momentum when he grabbed pole under the Friday night lights, the two McLarens lining up right behind for a straight fight to the finish.

The atmosphere built relentlessly as sunset gave way to floodlights. Strategy chatter pointed toward a one-stop race, and tyre choices reflected it: most drivers chose mediums, while Piastri, Tsunoda, Antonelli and Stroll gambled on hards, and Hamilton, Albon and Hulkenberg made the brave call to start on softs.

When the grid fell silent and the five lights went out, Verstappen launched perfectly to hold the lead into Turn 1. Norris tucked into second, Piastri third, with Leclerc and Alonso arguing over fourth and Russell slipping back to sixth after wheelspin.

Half a lap later, the McLaren garage collectively held their breath — Piastri swept around the outside of his teammate at Turn 9 on the harder tyre in one of the most audacious moves of the year. Norris dropped to third — still a title-winning position — but his mirrors were suddenly filled with Ferrari red and Aston Martin green.

On Lap 4, Leclerc took the first shot using DRS, but couldn’t make his move stick into Turn 9. Further back, Russell’s brake pedal feel concerned him, but not enough to stop him muscling past Alonso into the Turn 6/7 chicane to retake fifth. Behind them, Bortoleto, Hadjar, Ocon and Tsunoda formed the early top 10.

Stewards were quickly busy — Colapinto was noted for a start infringement, while Hamilton vs Albon and Antonelli vs Stroll were flagged for gaining positions off-track. “This is good for now Max. We may wish to go longer, so just keep on top,” Verstappen’s engineer advised, while Hulkenberg became the first to pit, ditching his softs for hards.

With the race past Lap 10, McLaren pressed Piastri to close the gap to Verstappen — and give Norris cleaner air. Norris was reminded of that too, managing his pace while shadowing the DRS margin to Leclerc. Incidents involving Gasly, Hulkenberg, Lawson and Bearman were noted, the latter earning a five-second penalty for erratic driving.

The stops began. Russell, Hadjar and Bearman moved to hards. Ferrari and McLaren waited — briefly clouding expectations when the McLaren crew walked into, then back out of, the pit lane. “Keep building this gap on Leclerc, it gives us choices,” Norris was told.

At the end of Lap 16, Norris, Leclerc and Alonso stopped together. Norris rejoined ahead of Russell — a key moment — but behind a line of cars still yet to stop, meaning urgent overtaking would be needed.

Up front, Verstappen and Piastri stayed out, the Red Bull just under two seconds clear. “Oscar, do you think we could do Plan A?” came the radio. “I think it’s doable for now,” he replied.

Meanwhile, Norris sliced cleanly through traffic — Antonelli, Stroll and Lawson all falling quickly. Leclerc and Russell copied the charge. Then came Tsunoda — outgoing Red Bull racer and no intention of making life easy. “We expect Norris to be in your DRS within one lap…”. “I know what to do, so leave to me,” Tsunoda snapped back.

Lap 23: Norris got his DRS and Tsunoda squeezed — almost onto the grass — but Norris braked deep and decisive into Turn 6/7 to retake the net P3 he needed.

Then came the jeopardy. Two investigations landed instantly: Tsunoda accused of forcing Norris off; Norris accused of leaving the track and gaining time. McLaren hearts froze. On Lap 24, Verstappen finally stopped for hards, releasing Piastri to lead.

Norris banged in fastest laps and stretched a two-second gap over Leclerc while waiting for the stewards’ verdict. It arrived quickly: five-second penalty for Tsunoda… no further action for Norris.

“Penalty?! What penalty, bro?!” Tsunoda yelled. Title breathing room restored.

By Lap 33, Piastri — still to pit — led by 11 seconds from Verstappen, with Norris another five seconds back in P3. Behind them, Leclerc, Russell and Stroll ran next, then Alonso, Bortoleto, Ocon and Hulkenberg under siege from Bearman for the last point.

Williams’ afternoon trended quiet: Sainz 12th, Albon 13th, ahead of Hadjar, Gasly, Colapinto, Hamilton (now on a two-stop strategy), Tsunoda, Lawson and Antonelli.

Piastri reported “the rear’s starting to get a bit worse now”, and Verstappen rapidly reeled him in — gap shrinking to six seconds, then less.

On Lap 40, Leclerc pitted for mediums, forcing Norris to respond next lap, switching to hards. Albon picked up a five-second penalty for pit speeding. Moments later, Verstappen swept past Piastri down the back straight to reclaim the lead. A few corners later, Piastri finally pitted for mediums and rejoined third.

He was told to chase the Red Bull — 24 seconds up the road — and slashed that advantage in half… but Verstappen was already gone. Eyes returned to Norris — title math in hand, pressure in his mirror now fading.

The final laps were about nerves, not pure speed. Norris extended his margin over Leclerc past five seconds — now firmly in control of his own destiny. Verstappen crossed the line first to close the championship gap to just two points — but it was too late.

15.572s after Verstappen took his final win of 2025, Norris arrived in third — the result that made him Formula 1 World Champion.

Leclerc finished a strong fourth, ahead of Russell and Alonso. Ocon edged Hamilton for seventh after a spirited final-lap scrap, Hulkenberg celebrated his 250th GP with ninth, and Stroll — penalised for erratic moves — scored the final point in tenth.

Bortoleto was 11th, Bearman slipped to 12th after his weaving penalty, Sainz took 13th and Tsunoda — also penalised — 14th. Antonelli beat Albon, and Racing Bulls endured a tough night with Hadjar and Lawson 17th and 18th, Lawson penalised for clashing with Bearman.

Gasly was hit with a track-limits penalty but still finished ahead of Colapinto as Alpine closed the year right where they didn’t want to be — 19th and 20th.

Then the celebration began. Norris spun into doughnuts on the start-finish straight, climbed onto the MCL39, and took in the roar of Yas Marina — a new champion breathing it all in.

Key Quote: Lando Norris

“Oh God! I’ve not cried in a while. I didn’t think I’d cry but I did. It’s a long journey. First of all, I want to say a big thanks to my guys, everyone at McLaren, my parents… I’m not crying! My mum, my dad, they were the ones who supported me since the beginning.

“It feels amazing. Now I know what Max feels like a little bit, and I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two biggest competitors all season. It’s been a pleasure to race against both of them, and I’ve learnt a lot from both of them as well. I’ve enjoyed it, it’s been a long year, but we did it, and I’m so proud of everyone.”

2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race results

The 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race was held on 7 December 2025 at 5:00 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	58	01:26:07	25
2	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	58	+12.594s	18
3	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	58	+16.572s	15
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	58	+23.279s	12
5	63	George Russell	Mercedes	58	+48.563s	10
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	58	+67.562s	8
7	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	58	+69.876s	6
8	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	58	+72.670s	4
9	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	58	+79.014s	2
10	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	58	+79.523s	1
11	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	58	+81.043s	0
12	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	58	+81.166s	0
13	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	58	+82.158s	0
14	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	58	+83.794s	0
15	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	58	+84.399s	0
16	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	58	+90.327s	0
17	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	57	+1 lap	0
18	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	57	+1 lap	0
19	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	57	+1 lap	0
20	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	57	+1 lap	0

2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time of Day	Time	Avg. Speed
1	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	45	18:10:59	1:26.725	219.217
2	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	44	18:09:22	1:26.765	219.116
3	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	48	18:15:15	1:26.818	218.982
4	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	46	18:13:14	1:27.050	218.398
5	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	39	18:01:39	1:27.625	216.965
6	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	52	18:21:58	1:27.626	216.963
7	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	43	18:07:39	1:27.710	216.755
8	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	47	18:13:26	1:27.767	216.614
9	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	34	17:55:24	1:28.029	215.969
10	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	36	17:58:10	1:28.094	215.81
11	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	54	18:24:46	1:28.279	215.358
12	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	45	18:11:42	1:28.367	215.143
13	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	44	18:10:07	1:28.557	214.682
14	63	George Russell	Mercedes	57	18:28:54	1:28.599	214.58
15	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	56	18:27:47	1:28.655	214.444
16	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	39	18:02:46	1:28.886	213.887
17	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	50	18:18:55	1:28.976	213.671
18	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	51	18:20:28	1:29.052	213.488
19	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	47	18:14:30	1:29.114	213.34
20	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	52	18:22:05	1:29.375	212.717

2025 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

2025 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

Pos	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren	423
2	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT	421
3	Oscar Piastri	AUS	McLaren	410
4	George Russell	GBR	Mercedes	319
5	Charles Leclerc	MON	Ferrari	242
6	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Ferrari	156
7	Kimi Antonelli	ITA	Mercedes	150
8	Alexander Albon	THA	Williams Mercedes	73
9	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Williams Mercedes	64
10	Fernando Alonso	ESP	Aston Martin Mercedes	56
11	Isack Hadjar	FRA	Racing Bulls Honda RBPT	51
12	Nico Hulkenberg	GER	Kick Sauber Ferrari	49
13	Oliver Bearman	GBR	Haas Ferrari	42
14	Liam Lawson	NZL	Racing Bulls Honda RBPT	38
15	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Haas Ferrari	38
16	Lance Stroll	CAN	Aston Martin Mercedes	34
17	Yuki Tsunoda	JPN	Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT	33
18	Pierre Gasly	FRA	Alpine Renualt	22
19	Gabriel Bortoleto	BRA	Kick Sauber Ferrari	19
20	Franco Colapinto	ARG	Alpine Renualt	0
21	Jack Doohan	AUS	Alpine Renualt	0

2025 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

Pos.	Team	PTS
1	McLaren Mercedes	833
2	Mercedes	469
3	Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT	451
4	Ferrari	398
5	Williams Mercedes	137
6	Racing Bulls Honda RBPT	92
7	Aston Martin Mercedes	90
8	Haas Ferrari	80
9	Kick Sauber Ferrari	68
10	Alpine Renualt	22