Abu Dhabi – Dec 7 (LatestNewsX) – McLaren’s Lando Norris clinched the 2025 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship after finishing third in the season‑ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday. The 26‑year‑old became the first McLaren driver to take the title since Lewis Hamilton in 2008, and is now Britain’s eleventh F1 world champion.
Norris’s third‑place finish snapped Max Verstappen’s four‑year reign as champion. Verstappen made an impressive rally late in the season but fell two points short after dominating the final race, which he won from pole. Oscar Piastri, McLaren’s other title‑contender, finished second, ensuring that the Red Bull driver couldn’t overtake the points gap.
He didn’t miss a beat – the British driver had already been confident that a podium would secure the title, regardless of how his rivals performed. Even though Verstappen led from the start, McLaren maintained control, as Piastri’s second place could support Norris if needed. This also marks the first time that McLaren has taken both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles in 27 years.
The only moment of nervousness for Norris came at the start of his second stint, when he had to overtake slower cars on older tyres after pitting earlier than most on lap 16. Yuki Tsunoda received a five‑second penalty for pushing Norris off the road during that move.
Towards the end of the race, Charles Leclerc’s aggressive pace briefly threatened Norris’s championship hopes, but he ultimately finished more than five seconds behind. Lewis Hamilton had a strong finish, climbing from 16th on the grid to eighth, ending his difficult first season with Ferrari on a high note.
Leclerc finished fourth, about seven seconds slower than Norris, followed by Mercedes’ George Russell, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, and a struggle between Haas and Ferrari’s Esteban Ocon and Hamilton.
Following Hamilton’s recovery, Nico Hülkenberg for Sauber made up ground to finish 9th in his 250th race, and Lance Stroll secured the final point in 10th place despite a penalty for erratic driving.
Ollie Bearman received a late‑race penalty for multiple direction changes during a tussle with Stroll, placing him 12th behind Gabriel Bortoleto. Carlos Sainz took 13th for Williams, while Tsunoda was penalised 14th after a five‑second penalty for mid‑race defending against Norris on an offset‑tyre strategy.
The following order included Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes, Alex Albon of Williams – who was penalised for pit‑lane speeding – and the Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson, the latter penalised for colliding with Bearman. The Alpine cars closed the field, with Pierre Gasly claiming the flag a few seconds ahead of Franco Colapinto, despite also being penalised for exceeding track limits.
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