Norris survived the near-constant thorn in his side that was Charles Leclerc, plus an FIA investigation over an incident with Yuki Tsunoda, as he raced on to the P3 result which confirmed him as champion. Piastri ended his season on a strong P2, but will be left to rue what could have been, having seen a 34-point championship lead drift away.
The stage was set for an epic title showdown. The three title combatants formed the top three on the grid, Verstappen on pole, championship leader Norris second, and Piastri third.
Verstappen and Norris went for medium tyres at the final, all-important grand prix start for F1 2025. Piastri, meanwhile, went for the hard rubber, sowing the seeds for a gripping strategy battle.
Lewis Hamilton, down in 16th, was the highest soft tyre starter.
Verstappen and Norris got an equal launch, as Verstappen came across to cover off any route through for Norris. Piastri followed until Turn 9, at which stage he swept around the outside of the sister McLaren and into second.
“I wasn’t surprised by that,” was the perhaps cryptic verdict from McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown on the pit wall.
Norris quickly came under pressure from Charles Leclerc at the head of the last DRS train. The Drag Reduction System will be scrapped as part of the major overhaul to the regulations for F1 2026.
By Lap 4, George Russell had cleared Fernando Alonso and set about trying to join the Norris pursuit. Hamilton continued to make progress, up to 13th.
There were Abu Dhabi 2016 flashbacks ahead of the race. Some believed that Verstappen could look to back the McLarens into the pack in hope of engineering the result which he needed, similar to what Hamilton did with Nico Rosberg, to no reward, nine years ago.
But, there were no signs of this in the opening stages as Verstappen set about gapping Piastri. Soon enough, the call came to Piastri to up the pace.
Hamilton was in on Lap 9 to ditch the softs for hard tyres. That set would not hang on long enough for a one-stopper, sending him down the two-stop route.
Norris was reporting increased graining on his mediums, but Leclerc was clearly struggling too as he dropped out of DRS range, affording the championship leader some breathing room.
Liam Lawson, meanwhile, was hit with a five-second penalty for erratic driving at the Turn 6/7 chicane.
The strategy battle ramped up on Lap 15, as Russell came in to swap mediums for hards, as he launched an undercut attempt on Leclerc.
Out front, Piastri was delivering on McLaren’s request to put the squeeze on Verstappen, as he crept closer to DRS territory. McLaren were asking Norris to keep pulling away from Leclerc.
Norris and Leclerc both stopped at the end of Lap 16. Norris came back out in 9th on hard tyres, behind Kimi Antonelli at the end of a DRS train. Not ideal. Crucially, Norris and Leclerc had both covered off Russell.
Norris lunged and passed Antonelli at Turn 6, and cleared former teammate Carlos Sainz at the end of the second back straight, crucial moves with Lance Stroll and Lawson next up. He picked them both off at the next visit to T6, and covered off Lawson’s threat of retaliation at T9.
Next up, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda… He was told to do all he could to defend.
“I know what to do, so leave to me,” was the response from Kimi Raikkonen, sorry, Yuki Tsunoda, to that one.
Leclerc followed the Norris blueprint on Stroll and Lawson, as he looked to re-apply fresh pressure on the McLaren.
Red Bull did pass on the extra, important information, that Leclerc was only 1.4s behind. Tsunoda showed Norris off-track down the first back straight, but, run-off and grass helped provide Norris the path to complete that crucial move.
Verstappen was in the pits soon after on L24, swapping mediums for hards, as the stewards noted that Tsunoda and Norris incident. That turned into a two-part investigation, Norris for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, Tsunoda for forcing another driver off the track.
Tsunoda was hit with a five-second penalty for weaving down the straight. There was no further action taken against Norris.
Leclerc was in on Lap 40 as he committed to the two-stop, taking on mediums. All eyes turned to McLaren for a response. It came on the next lap. Norris was brought in for another set of hard tyres and comfortably returned ahead of Leclerc. Verstappen meanwhile cleared Piastri at Turn 6 to re-gain the lead.
Piastri was in on Lap 42 for mediums. That was the pit-stops done for the season, as the final dash for the line began.
Verstappen, Piastri and Norris was the top three. That result would be enough to secure the title for Norris, but P4 would not, and Leclerc was coming back strong.
But, Norris had it under control.
Verstappen took the chequered flag for an eighth grand prix win of the season, Piastri secured second, and Norris, with third, was World Champion for the very first time!
Thus, the curtain came down on a gripping title battle, and era of Formula 1, with the radically revamped chassis and engine rules coming for F1 2026.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix results
1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 58 Laps
2. Oscar Piastri, McLaren, +12.594
3. Lando Norris, McLaren, +16.572
4. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, +23.279
5. George Russell, Mercedes, +48.563
6. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, +67.562
7. Esteban Ocon, Haas, +69.876
8. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, +72.67
9. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin, +74.523
10. Oliver Bearman, Haas, +76.166
11. Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber, +79.014
12. Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber, +81.043
13. Carlos Sainz, Williams, +82.158
14. Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull, +83.794
15. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, +84.399
16. Alex Albon, Williams, +90.327
17. Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls, +1L
18. Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls, +1L
19. Pierre Gasly, Alpine, +1L
20. Franco Colapinto, Alpine, +1L
