Norris is named F1 World Champion while Verstappen secures victory in Abu Dhabi.

      Piastri crossed the finish line, concluding the season in third place overall.

      Lando Norris clinched the 2025 FIA Formula One World Drivers' Championship title with a third-place finish in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, narrowly beating the race leader by just two points. Oscar Piastri secured second place in the race, finishing the season third overall.

      “It feels incredible,” the newly crowned champion exclaimed after the race. “I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two main competitors throughout the season. It’s been an honor to race against both of them. I’ve learned a lot from both, so I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s been a long year, but we did it, and I’m so proud of everyone.”

      At the race's start, polesitter Verstappen got off to a strong start and quickly moved to block any challenge from Norris.

      The Brit settled into second but soon, Piastri saw an opportunity and overtook his teammate, pushing Norris to third. With Norris only needing a podium finish to secure the title, his position seemed secure; however, as the first stint progressed, it became evident that he still had significant work ahead of him, as Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who had started fourth, began to apply intense pressure on the McLaren driver.

      While Verstappen and Piastri built a gap ahead, Norris was compelled to push harder than he preferred to fend off Leclerc. Ultimately, after trailing in dirty air behind the Brit, Leclerc’s tires began to fade, allowing Norris to create a critical few seconds of distance.

      Norris made his only pit stop, switching to Hard tires the same lap as Leclerc, but both emerged into heavy traffic, risking a drop from potential rivals running in clean air. Nonetheless, Norris acted decisively and swiftly passed Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Williams’ Alex Albon before overtaking Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Albon in the same maneuver at Turn 6, regaining fourth behind Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda.

      Tsutoda, urged by his team to hold up the McLaren, faced a determined Norris. The Briton attacked, resulting in Tsunoda swerving. Norris was forced off track but managed to complete the maneuver. The Stewards later investigated and awarded Tsunoda a five-second time penalty for changing direction more than once.

      Once clear of traffic and back in third place, Norris faced Leclerc again. When Ferrari called Leclerc in for a second pit stop, McLaren mirrored the strategy and had Norris stop for a second time as well.

      While they briefly raced each other, Norris eventually pulled ahead, and in the race's final stages, he began to close in on teammate Piastri, who had extended his first stint on Hards before switching to Mediums for the finish.

      At the front, Verstappen cruised to his eighth victory of the season, crossing the line 12 seconds ahead of Piastri for his 71st career win and third consecutive victory in a remarkable comeback.

      Despite Norris comfortably occupying third and being advised to ease off in the closing laps, the title slipped from Verstappen's reach.

      After Piastri finished the line, concluding the season in third overall with 410 points, Norris took the flag in third, securing a final total of 423 points, just two points ahead of Verstappen, making him the 35th driver to win the FIA Formula One World Drivers’ Championship.

      Behind the top three, Leclerc finished fourth, around 25 seconds ahead of Russell. Fernando Alonso took sixth for Aston Martin, ensuring they finished seventh in the Constructors’ Championship, two points clear of Haas. Esteban Ocon from Haas finished seventh in the race, while Lewis Hamilton rose from 16th on the grid to finish eighth. Nico Hülkenberg wrapped up Sauber’s time in F1 with two points before the team rebrands to Audi for 2026, and Lance Stroll secured the final point of the season in the second Aston Martin.