The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was set up as an epic finale to the 2025 Formula 1 season. The three drivers still in contention for the championship started in the top three positions. Max Verstappen was on pole, Lando Norris in second, and Oscar Piastri in third. Verstappen and Norris both chose medium tyres for the start, while Piastri went for hard tyres. This decision promised an interesting battle of strategy. Lewis Hamilton, starting from 16th, was the highest driver on soft tyres.

At the start, Verstappen and Norris got away evenly. Verstappen moved across the track to block any line through for Norris. Piastri followed closely but passed his McLaren teammate at Turn 9 to take second place. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said calmly from the pit wall that he was not surprised by the move. Soon, Norris came under pressure from Charles Leclerc, who was closing fast. George Russell had also passed Fernando Alonso and was chasing the leaders. Hamilton was moving up steadily and had reached 13th place by lap four.

Verstappen focused on building a gap over Piastri, while Piastri was told by his team to increase his pace. Early pit stops began with Hamilton on lap nine, changing from softs to hard tyres, which meant he would need to stop again later. Norris reported some graining on his tyres, but Leclerc was having even more trouble and was falling behind. Liam Lawson received a five-second penalty for erratic driving at one of the chicanes.

The strategy battle became more important around lap 15. Russell changed from medium to hard tyres to try an undercut on Leclerc. Piastri was following his team’s instructions and closing in on Verstappen. Norris was told to keep increasing his gap over Leclerc. Both Norris and Leclerc made their pit stops at the end of lap 16. Norris came out in ninth and Leclerc in tenth, which kept Russell from attacking them. Norris quickly passed the slower cars and returned to the leading positions while keeping an eye on his rivals.

Verstappen’s teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, was asked to defend against Norris. He replied, “I know what to do, so leave it to me.” Leclerc also passed slower cars and tried to catch Norris. Verstappen made his pit stop on lap 24 and switched to hard tyres, while the stewards watched the incident between Tsunoda and Norris. Tsunoda received a five-second penalty, but Norris was not punished.

In the final stage of the race, Leclerc came in for mediums on lap 40. McLaren quickly responded by bringing in Norris, who returned ahead of Leclerc. Verstappen overtook Piastri to take back the lead. Piastri made his last stop on lap 42, and the final sprint for the finish line began. The top three were Verstappen, Piastri, and Norris. Norris needed to finish in the top four to win the championship, while Leclerc was closing fast.

Norris managed the pressure perfectly. He kept a steady pace and stayed ahead of Leclerc. Verstappen crossed the finish line first, Piastri finished second, and Norris came third, winning the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship for the first time. The final laps showed skill, strategy, and calm under pressure.

The top ten finishers were Verstappen first, Piastri second, Norris third, Leclerc fourth, Russell fifth, Alonso sixth, Ocon seventh, Hamilton eighth, Bearman ninth, and Hulkenberg tenth. For Norris, it was a historic moment. He had driven carefully and smartly under pressure to become World Champion, ending the season with an exciting and memorable race.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race results:

1st – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2nd – Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +12.594
3rd – Lando Norris (McLaren) +16.572
4th – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +23.279
5th – George Russell (Mercedes) +48.563
6th – Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +1:07.562
7th – Esteban Ocon (Haas) +1:09.876
8th – Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +1:12.670
9th – Nico Hülkenberg (Kick Sauber) +1:19.014
10th – Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +1:19.523
11th – Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) +1:21.043
12th – Oliver Bearman (Haas) +1:21.166
13th – Carlos Sainz (Williams) +1:22.158
14th – Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +1:23.794
15th – Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +1:24.399
16th – Alexander Albon (Williams) +1:30.327
17th – Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +1 lap
18th – Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +1 lap
19th – Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1 lap
20th – Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +1 lap