- F1
Norris holds a 12-point lead over Verstappen heading into the final race of the season with Piastri also challenging for the title
Kieran Jacksonin Abu Dhabi,Michael JonesThursday 04 December 2025 09:27 GMTComments
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The 2025 Formula 1 season concludes this weekend in what will be a thrilling and dramatic conclusion to the championship with all of Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri in contention to win the drivers’ title.
Norris, the current leader, is the favourite despite errors from McLaren in the previous race in Qatar which meant he could only secure a fourth-placed finish and allowed Red Bull’s Verstappen to close the gap to just 12.
Verstappen will need to heavily outscore Norris in order to lift his fifth title and will be targeting another win at a circuit where he has triumphed in four of the last five years. However, McLaren’s Norris took the crown last season and knows that another victory will win him a first world title.
Adding into the mix is Norris’s teammate Piastri. The Australian has led the drivers championship throughout this season but a points deficit of 16 means he must win and hope Norris has an off day. All three title contenders will address the media today ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP weekend beginning in earnest on Friday.
Follow all the latest F1 news and updates ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:
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- Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri speak to media ahead of Abu Dhabi GP
- Both McLaren drivers and Verstappen can still win drivers title
- Norris leads Verstappen by 12 points and aims to win first ever world title
F1 driver standings
1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 408 points
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 396 points
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 392 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 309 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 230 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 152 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 152 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 73 points
9. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 64 points
10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 51 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 49 points
12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 48 points
13. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 41 points
14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 38 points
15. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 33 points
16. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 32 points
17. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 32 points
18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 22 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 19 points
20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points
21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points
Mike Jones4 December 2025 09:27How can I watch it online and on TV?
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. Sky’s coverage of Sunday’s race starts at 11:30am (GMT).
Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action at the Yas Marina Circuit on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
Mike Jones4 December 2025 09:21When is the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
All times GMT
Friday 5 December
- Free practice 1: 9:30am
- Free practice 2: 1pm
Saturday 6 December
- Free practice 3: 10:30am
- Qualifying: 2pm
Sunday 7 December
- Race: 1pm
How will the F1 title race play out?
F1 heads to the season-finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with the drivers’ championship still up for grabs after a dramatic penultimate round in Qatar.
Lando Norris saw his lead cut to 12 points after McLaren’s botched strategy in Lusail allowed Max Verstappen to claim a vital victory, which puts the Red Bull driver up to second in the standings.
Oscar Piastri was left fuming after McLaren’s decision not to pit their drivers early on cost him a race victory and the Australian, who was leading the championship from April to October, is now 16 points off Norris heading into the final round this Sunday.
For Norris, it is simple: a podium finish means he will claim his maiden championship. Anything less and Verstappen could complete a sensational comeback and win his fifth consecutive title. Piastri needs to win the race and hope his rivals fall down the order to claim what is now an improbable title.
Mike Jones4 December 2025 09:10The three F1 title finales that show why Lando Norris is far from safe in Abu Dhabi
Sweeping across the Gulf to Abu Dhabi, host of Formula One’s season finale for 12 consecutive years, Lando Norris really should be home and dry by now.
Without those Las Vegas disqualifications a fortnight ago, Max Verstappen would be out of the running.
Without last week’s mistakes in Qatar, McLaren could rest easy in the knowledge that the drivers’ champion would, at the very least, be donning papaya colours. Yet here we are; on we go.
The three F1 title finales that show why Lando Norris is far from safe in Abu Dhabi
Norris only needs a podium finish but championship-deciders in 2010, 2007 and 1986 should serve as a warning shot to the Briton and give Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri room for encouragementKieran Jackson4 December 2025 09:06Good morning!
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The final racing weekend of the season begins in earnest with practice sessions on Friday but beforehand the drivers will address the media with their thoughts ahead of what will be a thrilling finale.
Stick around as we’ll have all the updates from Abu Dhabi throughout the day.
Mike Jones4 December 2025 09:00More about
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