Abu Dhabi GP: last race for the F1 2025 title

Only one week remains before we discover the 2025 F1 champion. And this year they really want to keep us holding our breath until the very last lap. The race in Qatar pushed everything to the final showdown at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi. Norris’ P4 and Verstappen’s victory have closed the gap to just 12 points in the Brit’s favor. The current standings are clear: Norris leads with 408 points, ahead of Verstappen with 396 and Oscar Piastri with 392.

For the season finale, we’ve also created a fun ranking: the most “expensive” driver in terms of incidents for each team. Who do you think comes out on top? Find out here.

A Max vs Mclaren’s 2025 incredible season

What Max has done in 2025 is nothing short of remarkable: from mid-season onwards he has clawed back a championship that, ten races ago, saw him over 100 points behind. Even if Norris and McLaren seal the deal in the final round, Red Bull might as well build a statue of him. He maximised every opportunity, proved that the driver still makes a difference even with a less competitive car, and fought essentially alone against two teammates — Norris and Oscar— who, on paper, should have been a united front.

Spoiler: they weren’t. McLaren has always made it clear their drivers were free to fight, even if Piastri’s recent results have been shaky, collecting the same points as Sainz’s Williams. Loss of focus? Or internal dynamics quietly shaping the title fight?

Either way, the picture is crystal clear now. Norris, Max and Piastri will battle for everything in Abu Dhabi, and we broke down all the scenarios that would crown each of them as the 2025 champion.

VERSTAPPEN F1 CHAMPION 🏆

• Verstappen P1 — Norris P4 or lower
• P2 — Norris P6 or lower and Piastri P3 or lower
• P3 — Norris P9 or lower and Piastri P2 or lower

NORRIS CHAMPION 🏆

• Norris P1
• P2
• P3
• P4 — Verstappen P2 or lower
• P5 — Verstappen P2 or lower
• P6 — Verstappen P2 or lower and Piastri P2 or lower
• P7 — Verstappen P2 or lower and Piastri P2 or lower
• P8 — Verstappen P3 or lower and Piastri P2 or lower
• P9 — Verstappen P4 or lower and Piastri P2 or lower
• P10 — Verstappen P4 or lower and Piastri P3 or lower
• P11 — Verstappen P4 or lower and Piastri P3 or lower

PIASTRI CHAMPION 🏆

• P1 — Norris P6 or lower
• P2 — Norris P9 or lower and Verstappen P4 or lower

Winning the final race at Yas Marina is nothing new: it happens often, since the last round alternates with São Paulo. And who could forget that ending? The last lap, the safety car, Verstappen diving past Hamilton… and the Dutchman grabbing his first world title. If we get anything close to that again (this time following the rulebook to the letter, without Michael-Masi-style surprises), we’re ready to applaud.

Here’s the full weekend schedule:

F1 Weekend Schedule – Abu Dhabi

Practice 1 – Dec 5, 10:30–11:30
FP2 – Dec 6, 14:00–15:00
Practice 3 – Dec 6, 11:30–12:30
Qualifying – Dec 7, 15:00–16:00
Race – Dec 8, 14:00

A total of 58 laps will be completed on the 5.281 km track, for a race distance of 306 km. And it’s not just the drivers’ title on the line: the constructors’ championship is still wide open. Mercedes sits second with 459 points, followed by Red Bull with 426. Ferrari’s comeback looks tougher: they’re fourth with 382 points.

Williams, on the other hand, secured P5 in the standings thanks to Sainz’s P3 in Qatar — a huge achievement that brings the historic British team back to the midfield after more than a decade.