After 24 races, the 2025 World Championship is now officially decided: Lando Norris is World Champion.
Lights Out and Away we go:
Max Verstappen immediately closed any opening for the McLarens to pass him on the first turn. The top three championship contenders, Verstappen, Norris, and Piastri, all initially retained their grid positions.
However, this meant the intra-team fight was on. Piastri, who started the race on hard tyres, made good use of the preparation from his formation lap, pulling a great move on his teammate, sweeping around the exterior of a long turn to take P2.
This put more pressure on Norris, now P3, who was now sandwiched between his championship-chasing teammate and the chasing pack.
Behind the top three, it was an equally fierce battle for fourth between Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso. Finally, Leclerc managed to secure P4, putting him right onto the gearbox of Norris.
Things soon started to go downhill for George Russell, who within the first few laps found himself dropping two places back. Over the radio, the British driver intimated a possible brake issue.
By Lap 4, the battle for title-deciding P3 had reached boiling point. Norris who was possibly hindered by Piastri ahead of him, and could not escape the red car behind him. Charles Leclerc was relentless, using his DRS down the long straights of Abu Dhabi to keep the McLaren permanently within distance, menacing Norris and that vital podium spot.
Piastri was soon alerted that Verstappen’s tires appeared tlo start to grain. This news was swiftly passed on to Norris, whose team radioed him: “We think Verstappen’s graining has started, your tyres look in better condition than his.”
But that advantage was short-lived, as by Lap 13 Norris himself reported: “My graining is definitively picking up.” Leclerc, meanwhile, was running at a surprisingly strong pace, and stayed menacingly close to Norris.
The strategic flurry began as Liam Lawson received a 5-second penalty on Lap 14 for “erratic driving”. George Russell, Isack Hadjar, and Oliver Bearman all pitted on Lap 15, switching to Hard tires.
A stop from both Norris and Leclerc on Lap 17 saw them emerging in P9 and P10, plunging immediately into the dreaded mid-field traffic. Norris was soon stuck in a DRS train behind Antonelli, Sainz, and Stroll. However, he knew he needed to get across as fast as possible. The British driver did not waste time and reached P7 by Lap 18. Leclerc did likewise, one lap later.
It was not until Lap 23 that the race leader, Max Verstappen, finally went into the pits. After a good stop, he rejoined in P2, 18 seconds behind new race leader Oscar Piastri. The Australian was still in need of a compulsory stop.
Penalty or not?
Meanwhile, the Red Bull family tried actively to work against Norris. Yuki Tsunoda had the aim to slow the McLaren down, receiving the message:
“We expect Norris to be in your DRS in one lap, all you can when you can.”
The fight between Norris and Tsunoda led to a huge championship-shaping moment. On Lap 26, Norris made an aggressive outside pass. However, all four tires were noted to be outside the track, suggesting he had ‘left the track and gained an advantage’. The incident was put under review.
The verdict came on Lap 30: No further action for Lando Norris’ move. The stewards viewed it as legitimate and allowed Norris to not receive any penalty. It was, instead, Tsunoda who was awarded a 5-second penalty for making multiple changes of direction while defending.
The race continued to see some strategic battles further down the field. Esteban Ocon passed Antonelli on Lap 32. Another pitlane speeding penalty was given to Albon on Lap 38.
On Lap 40 when Charles Leclerc pitted for Medium tyres, which obliged McLaren to take immediate action. Norris did likewise a lap later. Piastri, still on his original Hard tyres, remained out on track as ordered.
This was the final strategic push. By Lap 41, Verstappen, who had been closing the gap, swept past Piastri to retake the Race Lead. Piastri was then immediately called into the box at the end of the lap for his stop.
The tension remained high as Leclerc, now on fresh Mediums, delivered a blistering performance. He set the fastest lap on Lap 44, keeping the suspense alive as he still could catch up onto Norris.
Even Verstappen knew his fate was in the battle behind him, despite leading. On Lap 47, he radioed his engineer: “Is Charles catching him or not?”
The reply was cautious but not reassuring: it didn’t look likely. Verstappen, nonetheless, gave it his all until the very end.
The Checkered Flag: Lando Norris, World Champion
Max Verstappen crossed the line to take a well-deserved victory at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
But that was a solitary win. Right behind him, Lando Norris crossed the line to finish the race in P3. His drive allowed him to secure the critical podium position he needed.
After a suspenseful season, the title remained undecided until the very last race. The visibly emotional British driver completed his final lap of the 2025 season with happy tears. The result was confirmed: Lando Norris is the 2025 Formula 1 World Champion.
The comeback of Max Verstappen after the summer break was nothing less than spectacular. He kept the championship hopes alive down to the wire.
Oscar Piastri also deserves immense recognition for a truly wonderful season. This year, he truly has cemented his potential as a future World Champion. The Australian led the championship for an astonishing 15 consecutive rounds. He achieved seven race victories, making him a favourite for most of the season.
Lando Norris is now the 35th driver in F1 history to secure the World Championship title. He accomplished this after a seven-year journey with the McLaren team.
Within moments, Norris was joined by his family, team and friends alike. George Russell and Carlos Sainz came to embrace the new World Champion. An overjoyed Norris debriefed the moment in a post-race interview:
“It’s amazing, I now know what Max feels like a little bit.”
He thanked his team, his parents, and paid tribute to his rivals, adding that the fight with Max Verstappen and his teammate Oscar Piastri made this a true competition, and he learned much from both.