Lando Norris has secured his first-ever Formula 1 World Championship title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, capping off a thrilling 2025 season. Despite Max Verstappen winning the race, Norris's third-place finish was enough to clinch the title by just two points, denying Verstappen his fifth consecutive championship. Norris's teammate, Oscar Piastri, finished second in the race and third in the overall standings.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a tense and strategic affair. Verstappen started from pole position, but Piastri made a bold move on the opening lap to overtake Norris for second place. McLaren opted for split tire strategies, putting Norris on medium tires and Piastri on hard tires. Norris pitted on Lap 18 for hard tires, while Verstappen and Piastri extended their first stints. Later, Piastri pitted late for medium tires, allowing Verstappen to regain the lead.
Throughout the race, Norris faced pressure from Charles Leclerc and a brief moment in traffic after his first pit stop. He also had a wheel-to-wheel incident with Yuki Tsunoda, which was investigated but resulted in no further action. Despite these challenges, Norris maintained his composure and secured the third-place finish he needed to win the championship.
Norris, 26, becomes the first British champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2020 and the first McLaren champion since Hamilton in 2008. He expressed his emotions after the race, acknowledging the long journey and the support of his family and the McLaren team. He also congratulated Verstappen and Piastri, recognizing them as his biggest competitors. Norris emphasized that he won the title "my way," racing fairly and without excessive aggression.
Verstappen, while winning the race, narrowly missed out on his fifth straight title, finishing the season with 421 points compared to Norris's 423. Piastri, who also had a mathematical chance of winning the championship, finished with 410 points. The final race results saw Charles Leclerc in fourth, followed by George Russell, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, and Lewis Hamilton.
The 2025 season saw Norris achieve seven wins, including victories in Monte Carlo and at his home race in Silverstone. He also secured 11 podiums, contributing to McLaren's dominant constructors' championship win for the second consecutive season. His journey to the top included success in junior formulas, such as the FIA F3 European Championship title in 2017.
Piastri, despite missing out on the title, vowed to learn from the experience and come back stronger in the future. He acknowledged that he needed "the stars to align" to win the championship in Abu Dhabi and praised McLaren for their efforts in improving his performance. He made a strong start to the race, overtaking Norris on the opening lap, but couldn't challenge Verstappen's lead.
