Abu Dhabi GP: Verstappen wins – Norris crowned World Champion!

Lando Norris finally ascended to Formula 1’s summit, sealing his maiden world championship with a measured third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen won the race with a classic display of control, while Oscar Piastri chased him home in second – but the night ultimately belonged to McLaren’s new champion.

Starting 12 points clear of Verstappen, Norris only needed a podium to clinch the title. But any expectation that Verstappen might try to orchestrate a tactical slowdown evaporated almost immediately.

• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Race results

Piastri — launched on hard tyres — jumped Norris at the start, slotting in behind Verstappen and removing the possibility of early strategic games.

McLaren’s tyre offset split the field neatly: Verstappen and Norris stopped earlier, while Piastri ran long, only boxing on lap 41.

Armed with fresh mediums, the Australian attacked, shaving the lead down to 12.6 seconds, but Verstappen’s pace on ageing hards proved unshakeable. The Dutchman cruised to a serene victory, sealing second in the championship.

Norris Survives Leclerc’s Early Surge

Norris’s race, however, was far more volatile. After losing second to Piastri, he immediately came under heavy fire from Charles Leclerc, who hounded him with DRS in the opening laps. McLaren called Norris in early to cover off the Ferrari threat, but the stop dropped him into a chaotic midfield.

His response under pressure was immaculate. Norris sliced past Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Alex Albon, then produced one of the moves of the season: a stunning two-car overtake on Liam Lawson and Lance Stroll at Turn 6. It neutralised the traffic gamble — but not for long.

Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull became the next roadblock. Instructed to “do what you can,” the Japanese driver weaved aggressively down the back straight as Norris attempted to pass, even forcing the McLaren off-track. The overtake itself stood, but Tsunoda was handed a five-second penalty for excessive weaving.

Freed at last, Norris rebuilt his buffer over Leclerc, whose strong early-stint pace began to ebb.

Late Strategy Calls Seal the Title

Ferrari rolled the dice on a two-stop, pitting Leclerc again on lap 39. McLaren immediately mirrored the move a lap later, ensuring Norris retained third position as Leclerc rejoined behind a one-stopping George Russell.

The Mercedes lacked grip after a marathon stint on hards, allowing Leclerc through — but his early push on fresh tyres ultimately cost him late in the race.

Norris managed the gap perfectly, keeping Leclerc at around four seconds before the Ferrari’s tyre life collapsed in the final laps. So strong was Norris’s pace that he closed to within three seconds of Piastri before being told to back off and bring the title home.

Behind them, Leclerc finished a comfortable fourth, 25 seconds ahead of Russell. Fernando Alonso took sixth, securing seventh in the constructors’ standings for Aston Martin. Esteban Ocon claimed seventh after repassing Lewis Hamilton at Turn 9 on lap 52.

Hamilton salvaged eighth after a Q1 exit and two-stop recovery drive — a small consolation at the end of a bruising debut Ferrari season.

Two weaving penalties for Lance Stroll and Oliver Bearman reshuffled the lower points positions, promoting Nico Hülkenberg to ninth. Stroll claimed the final point in 10th ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto.

But the night belonged to Lando Norris – the new world champion, at the end of a year he finally made his own.

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