- F1
Norris holds a 12-point lead over Verstappen heading into the final race of the season with Piastri also challenging for the title
Kieran Jacksonin Abu Dhabi,Michael JonesThursday 04 December 2025 10:09 GMTComments
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The 2025 Formula 1 season concludes this weekend in what will be a thrilling and dramatic conclusion to the championship with all of Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri in contention to win the drivers’ title.
Norris, the current leader, is the favourite despite errors from McLaren in the previous race in Qatar which meant he could only secure a fourth-placed finish and allowed Red Bull’s Verstappen to close the gap to just 12.
Verstappen will need to heavily outscore Norris in order to lift his fifth title and will be targeting another win at a circuit where he has triumphed in four of the last five years. However, McLaren’s Norris took the crown last season and knows that another victory will win him a first world title.
Adding into the mix is Norris’s teammate Piastri. The Australian has led the drivers championship throughout this season but a points deficit of 16 means he must win and hope Norris has an off day. All three title contenders will address the media today ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP weekend beginning in earnest on Friday.
Follow all the latest F1 news and updates ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:
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F1 news blog live
- Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri speak to media ahead of Abu Dhabi GP
- Both McLaren drivers and Verstappen can still win drivers title
- Norris leads Verstappen by 12 points and aims to win first ever world title
Verstappen excited for Abu Dhabi opportunity
Max Verstappen revealed that he is excited by the prospect of having an ‘opportunity’ to win the drivers title in Abu Dhabi.
“I am excited and happy to go to Abu Dhabi and have a go at it,” he said after the Qatar Grand Prix.
“On pure pace we are not on the same level (as McLaren), but when strategy comes into play, or making the calls at the right time, we might have an opportunity.”
Mike Jones4 December 2025 10:09'I just try and beat them'
Just after the Qatar Grand Prix finished, Lando Norris was asked how he will tackle the three-way title shootout in Abu Dhabi.
Norris replied: “It will feel the same as every weekend. I try and beat them. They try and beat me. It is nothing different.
“We were the ones who took the gamble and it was the wrong decision. There is nothing I can do about it now. It was not my finest day in terms of driving and putting things together. That is life.
“Everyone has bad weekends. I take it on the chin, we will see what we can do in Abu Dhabi.”
(Getty Images)Mike Jones4 December 2025 10:03Lando Norris unhappy with McLaren F1 strategy blunder: ‘It was the wrong decision’
Lando Norris said he just wanted to go to bed after Max Verstappen cashed in on a calamitous McLaren strategy decision to win the Qatar Grand Prix and take his British rival to a mouth-watering season finale.
Norris was bidding to be crowned world champion in Doha, but he finished only fourth and will head to the 24th and concluding round in Abu Dhabi guarding only a 12-point lead over Verstappen, with team-mate Oscar Piastri, runner-up to the Red Bull driver here, 16 points back.
Lando Norris unhappy with McLaren F1 strategy blunder: ‘It was the wrong decision’
Norris heads to Abu Dhabi only 12 points clear of Max Verstappen after McLaren botched an early pit-stop callMike Jones4 December 2025 09:57McLaren 'let Norris and Piastri' down in Qatar
McLaren CEO Zak Brown says the team were responsible for ‘letting down’ Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri with their strategy at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Norris could have won the title last week but a decision not to stop under a safety car soct him a podium place.
“We made the wrong decision and I feel terrible for Oscar and Lando. We let them down,” Brown admitted.
“You win and lose as a team but definitely not a great moment, so we’ll go back and study it.
“There is nothing we can do about it now. We’ll just do the best we can in Abu Dhabi.”
(David Davies/PA Wire)Mike Jones4 December 2025 09:50Title fight 'doesn't matter' to Verstappen
Max Verstappen expanding on his initial thoughts after winning the Qatar Grand Prix but played down his expectations for this weekend’s finale.
“If I don’t win it, I still know that I have had an amazing season,” he revealed.
“So, it doesn’t really matter, and that just takes a lot of the pressure off. I’m just out there having a good time.
“I also know that we will probably need to rely on some external factors. But a race like [Qatar] shows that when you think it’s going to be boring and straightforward, it’s not.
“ So, I’m hoping Abu Dhabi is going to be similar.”
(Getty Images)Mike Jones4 December 2025 09:44Verstappen 'relaxed' about title clash
Max Verstappen says he is relaxed about the prospect of winning his fifth Formula 1 world title this weekend.
The Dutchman knows how to close out an F1 season and has lifted the drivers’ championship in each of the last four years.
But, Verstappen comes into the race in Abu Dhabi knowing a win might not ever be enough for him to overturn the deficit to Lando Norris.
“I’m a lot more relaxed now,” said Verstappen. “I know that I’m 12 points down and I go in there with just positive energy, and I will try everything I can.”
Mike Jones4 December 2025 09:38Red Bull confirm Max Verstappen’s 2026 F1 teammate and Yuki Tsunoda’s future
Red Bull have confirmed that Isack Hadjar will partner Max Verstappen next season – while Yuki Tsunoda has lost his spot in Formula One.
French driver Hadjar will make the step up to Red Bull and F1’s poisoned chalice seat after an impressive rookie campaign at sister team Racing Bulls.
Meanwhile, Liam Lawson will be partnered at RB by 18-year-old British driver Arvid Lindblad, promoted after showing promise in Formula Two this year.
Red Bull confirm Max Verstappen’s 2026 F1 teammate and Yuki Tsunoda’s future
Red Bull have revealed their driver lineups for next season, with a British teen moving up to F1Kieran Jackson4 December 2025 09:33F1 driver standings
1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 408 points
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 396 points
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 392 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 309 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 230 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 152 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 152 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 73 points
9. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 64 points
10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 51 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 49 points
12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 48 points
13. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 41 points
14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 38 points
15. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 33 points
16. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 32 points
17. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 32 points
18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 22 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 19 points
20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points
21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points
Mike Jones4 December 2025 09:27How can I watch it online and on TV?
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. Sky’s coverage of Sunday’s race starts at 11:30am (GMT).
Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action at the Yas Marina Circuit on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
Mike Jones4 December 2025 09:21When is the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
All times GMT
Friday 5 December
- Free practice 1: 9:30am
- Free practice 2: 1pm
Saturday 6 December
- Free practice 3: 10:30am
- Qualifying: 2pm
Sunday 7 December
- Race: 1pm
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