This year’s Formula 1 season concluded with the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix held yesterday. Lando Norris of McLaren became the World Drivers’ Champion for 2025, sealing his first drivers’ championship. He started from second on the grid, and finished third in the race. Max Verstappen of Red Bull put in a valiant effort to qualify on pole position and then take a comfortable race win, but finished second in the championship. Oscar Piastri of McLaren qualified in a solid third position, put in a wide overtake on Mr. Norris on the first lap to get into second position, and eventually finished second in the race, but finished third in the championship.
Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull had an opportunity to hold up Mr. Norris during the middle phase of the race, and could have helped Mr. Verstappen to the World Drivers’ Championship if Mr. Norris had finished third or below. In the end, though, Mr. Norris overtook Mr. Tsunoda quickly and convincingly. Although Mr. Verstappen could have tried to bunch up the field in an effort to help someone else overtake Mr. Norris, it appears that he chose to fight fairly, and simply put in a sterling performance to win the race.
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari looked to be a solid chance to cost Mr. Norris the drivers’ championship in a couple of phases, early in the race and then in the latter half of the race. Mr. Leclerc’s pace was surprising; he set fastest laps a few times throughout the event, and managed to hold on to the tail of Mr. Norris’s car steadily, though the pace fell off as the race reached its final stage. If Mr. Leclerc had managed to overtake Mr. Norris early on, and then hold on to the position, Mr. Verstappen would have taken the championship.
Unusually, Mr. Piastri started on hard tyres (supposedly slower) whereas those around him started on medium tyres, but his early pace was much faster than would otherwise have been expected. His lap times remained quite consistent for most of the first, long stint. (He completed 41 out of the 58 laps on his starting set of tyres.) Mr. Verstappen and Mr. Norris also showed good pace on the hard tyres after their pitstops, and it was at that stage that Mr. Piastri lost ground. In the end, Mr. Verstappen (medium-hard) and Mr. Piastri (hard-medium) stopped just once each, while Mr. Norris took a two-stop strategy (medium-hard-hard).
Mr. Norris finished the season with 423 points, Mr. Verstappen with 421 points, and Mr. Piastri with 410 points. Much happened with the McLaren team through the season, and there will be many who remember that at the Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix, Mr. Norris had a slow pitstop, lost a place to Mr. Piastri, and McLaren team management then ordered Mr. Piastri to give the place to Mr. Norris. Without that move, Mr. Verstappen would now be the World Drivers’ Champion for a fifth time; no doubt, he is already looking forward to the 2026 season and the incoming changes to regulations, which should mix up the field significantly.
Ultimately, Mr. Norris is a deserving champion for 2025. He has put in excellent performances, and has significantly improved his race starts. Overall, he scored more consistently and reliably than his Australian teammate, and without some McLaren team issues and superb performances by the Dutch defending champion, would have finished well ahead in the drivers’ championship rather than a mere two points ahead.