F1 drivers squeeze in tradition before Abu Dhabi epic

On the eve of Formula 1’s thrilling 2025 title decider in Abu Dhabi, the entire grid – minus a few absentees – hit pause on the rising tension to gather for their traditional end-of-season dinner and class photo at Yas Marina on Thursday night.

With a title fight looming and pressure building by the hour, the drivers gladly traded tyre data for table chatter, proving that even when a championship is on the line, the drivers’ peculiar brand of brotherhood still trumps rivalry… at least until Sunday.

Judging by the sea of bright tops, there might have been a “white shirt” dress code floating around – but if so, not everyone got the memo, or perhaps a few forgot to check their group chat on WhatsApp.

Missing from the frame were Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll – presumably whisked away to a glossy sponsor event – and Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg.

As the pressure gauge redlines toward Sunday’s winner-takes-all finale, moments like these remind us why we fell in love with this circus in the first place: twenty drivers who’ll fight tooth-and-nail on track, but who can still laugh, toast, and squeeze into a photo op when it matters. Roll on lights out.