The 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix closed out a 24-race season that belonged to one man. While Max Verstappen won the race, the spotlight was on Lando Norris in what was a spectacular season finale. Third place under the lights at the Yas Marina circuit was all he needed, and a P3 finish at the chequered flag added 15 points to bring his season total to 423.
Verstappen’s win gave him 25 points and brought him to 421, missing what could have been his fifth world title by only two points. Oscar Piastri crossed the line in second to collect 18 points, ending with 410. Lando is the 8th driver to win a world title for the team based in Woking, and with that, McLaren ended a 13-year wait for a driver’s title, the first since fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton’s emotional championship victory in Sao Paulo back in 2008.
The constructor’s championship was already settled in Singapore, with McLaren locking it down early, and Abu Dhabi became the stage for a driver's title shootout. Verstappen defended hard into Turn 1 and controlled the race from the start. Behind him, Piastri delivered what many will remember as the pass of the season, sweeping around Norris on Hard tyres with full commitment. He lost second to his teammate at the start, kept calm, held pace, and built a race around one priority: finish on the podium, and it worked.
McLaren deserves credit for what was a clean weekend. Strategy came together without confusion, and the pit wall made calls with confidence. Piastri rolled the dice by starting on Hard tyres, committing to a long first stint and a single stop. They expected a Safety Car, and it never came, but the plan still held. Verstappen controlled the lead early from Medium tyres and also ran a single stop to Hards. The race settled into a two-front fight, yet Verstappen was never under real threat. Piastri held second comfortably, which let Norris run his own tempo without defending heavily from behind.
Ferrari looked close at times, and Charles Leclerc used DRS in the early laps, but he could not convert pressure into a pass. Fourth place for Ferrari is still commendable, as it shows improvement late in the season. The gap to George Russell in fifth was over 25 seconds, which highlights what the team could have done if this pace had arrived sooner. They trail 71 points in the Constructors standings. You can see room to improve before 2026 begins.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton gave fans something to follow from deeper in the field. He started 16th on the grid and climbed to eighth. Alonso finished sixth, Ocon seventh. Nico Hulkenberg and Lance Stroll rounded out the points.
McLaren's momentum over the weekend carried into the paddock and beyond in Abu Dhabi. RM Sotheby’s sale on Friday saw an ex-Brunei 1994 McLaren F1 sold for $25.3 million. For the very first time, McLaren Racing also offered three yet-to-be-raced competition cars as part of its Triple Crown offering. Ayrton Senna’s 1991 MP4/6/1 was also on display, awaiting a private sale in Dubai later this week.
Abu Dhabi marked the final race for the current ground-effect Formula 1 grand prix cars. A massive reset arrives next season in 2026, with Audi and Cadillac joining the grid. Engine formats change, aero rules shift, and a new competitive landscape forms. Liveries drop in January, followed by pre-season testing in Barcelona. Watch this space.
Images: Formula 1, McLaren Racing
