Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025

Race Highlights

• Max Verstappen converted his 48th career pole position into a dominant race victory
• Lando Norris secured his maiden World Drivers’ Championship by finishing third, ending the season just two points ahead of Verstappen
• Oscar Piastri finished second, marking a double podium for McLaren and securing third in the final standings
• Charles Leclerc set the fastest lap of the race and finished fourth for Ferrari
• Lewis Hamilton finished eighth, marking the first time in his 19-year career he failed to record a single podium during a season
• Yuki Tsunoda received a five-second penalty for erratic driving after forcing Norris off the track during a battle for third
• Nico Hülkenberg celebrated his 250th race start by scoring points in ninth place for Kick Sauber

Race Summary

The 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix served as the first three-way championship decider since 2010, with Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri all entering the finale with a chance at the title. Verstappen took an immediate lead from pole, aggressively defending his position into the first corner. While the Red Bull driver controlled the race from the front, the McLaren duo of Piastri and Norris held steady in the podium positions to ensure they remained in the hunt until the final lap.

Strategy played a critical role as drivers navigated the transition between tire compounds at the Yas Marina Circuit. Piastri utilized his hard tires to eventually overtake Norris for second, while Norris survived a high-tension duel with Yuki Tsunoda, who was later penalized for defensive moves that forced the Briton off the track. Despite a late-race charge from Charles Leclerc, Norris maintained his third-place position to secure the points necessary for his first world title.

The season concluded with historic milestones beyond the title fight. McLaren celebrated their first Drivers’ Championship since 2008 and a dominant Constructors’ title win. Meanwhile, the race marked the end of an era as the final event for the 2014-spec power units and the last outing for Renault as an engine supplier. The final standings saw Norris finish on 423 points, narrowly defeating Verstappen’s 421 and Piastri’s 410.