Max wins Abu Dhabi GP, Norris world champion: 'We can be proud of our comeback'

Published on 07 December 2025 by Kees-Jan Koster

Max Verstappen has won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It was the 71st victory of his Formula 1 career. The four-time world champion did everything he could to secure the title, but due to Lando Norris finishing on the podium, Max fell just two points short of the championship. Norris became the first McLaren driver since 2008 to be crowned world champion.

After the race, Max shared some encouraging words with his team over the radio: “Do not be too disappointed, because I certainly am not. We can be proud of our comeback. Thanks everyone. And, Honda for the past years. We finished it off in style.”

Speaking to the media afterwards, Max said: “I am standing here with a very satisfied feeling. We did everything we could to stay in the fight. Falling two points short at the end is obviously disappointing. Our first half of the season was too inconsistent. In the second half of the season we did very well. Of course, we also had a bit of luck at certain moments. McLaren made some mistakes, and there was also the disqualification, so that put us back in the fight. That it then does not work out by two points, it does not really matter whether it is one point or fifty. The result is the same. I was not disappointed at all when I crossed the line. We gave it everything and extracted the maximum this weekend.”

On the race itself, Max said: “The race was just great. We were strong and good on the tyres. That was not an issue at all, we managed that well. Of course, we knew we needed some luck to win the title, but it just was not quite enough.”

It was the final race under the current regulations, something the four-time world champion was pleased about. “In the last few laps I briefly thought about whether I should enjoy it, but actually I did not. I was just very happy and even pushed a bit more to get over the line as quickly as possible.”

Finally, Max had some kind words for world champion Lando Norris: “This is something you just must enjoy. You never know how often this will happen in your life. The first one is always very special, so I hope he makes the most of it tonight.”

It is 5 p.m. local time in Abu Dhabi. The 24th and final race of the 2025 season is on the schedule. Lando Norris (McLaren) leads the championship with 408 points, ahead of Max (396) and Oscar Piastri (McLaren, 392). Max and Norris start on medium tyres, while Piastri opts for the hard compound.

When the lights go out, the top three all make good starts. All the championship contenders retain their positions through the opening corners. However, on the straight Piastri closes in on Norris and passes his team-mate around the outside at Turn 9, moving up into second place. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) also gets a strong start and overtakes George Russell (Mercedes). The veteran only manages to hold on for a few laps before Russell retakes fifth place.

In the opening phase, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) manages to stay close to Norris. The Monegasque looks as though he might attempt a move at one point, but it never develops into a serious challenge. Max is told several times over the radio to look after his tyres. The reigning world champion keeps Piastri about two seconds behind him, while Norris is also around two seconds adrift of his team-mate.

At the end of lap 14, Russell is the first of the top six to pit, switching to hard tyres. Two laps later Norris follows, also fitting hards, but he rejoins in traffic in ninth place. The Brit makes his way through the field fairly easily and is back up to third by lap 23. To take that position, he has to pass Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver moves across several times, and according to the stewards Norris is forced off the track. Tsunoda receives a five-second penalty for the incident, much to his displeasure. “A penalty!? For what?!”, Yuki says over the radio. Norris’s overtake is the signal for Max to pit. He makes a strong stop of 2.3 seconds and rejoins in second place.

Max continues to drive a strong race and is told by Lambiase that he can push flat out until the finish. The four-time world champion sets fastest lap after fastest lap. Leclerc, meanwhile, is on a different strategy. He pits for a second time and switches to medium tyres. Norris responds by pitting as well, receiving a new set of hard tyres. At the end of lap 41, it is Piastri who makes his first and only stop of the day, changing to a new set of mediums. Max is told to stay out until the end and that no further pit stop is required. With ten laps to go, it is Max who leads the race on lap 48. He holds a 20-second advantage over Piastri, with Norris a further 4.8 seconds back. Leclerc is fourth, four seconds behind Norris.

In the final ten laps, Max can only hope for a miracle, but it does not come. He drives in dominant fashion to the finish to claim his 71st career victory, but the focus is mainly on the man in third place. Norris crosses the line behind his team-mate Piastri, becoming the 35th Formula 1 World Champion.

Results Grand Prix Abu-dhabi: