Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, although he missed out on the title by just two points.
Photo: Alex Bierens de Haan
Starting from pole position, Verstappen comfortably held the lead off the line. Behind him, Norris and Piastri battled for second place. Piastri managed to get ahead of Norris, who soon found himself under pressure from Charles Leclerc. For Norris to win the world championship, he needed to finish no worse than third; if Leclerc had overtaken him, Verstappen would have taken the title instead.
Norris held Leclerc off, but another obstacle on his road to the championship was Yuki Tsunoda, who stayed out longer and ran in third place while Norris was right behind him. Red Bull instructed him to slow Norris down a bit — something reminiscent of Checo Pérez’s defensive tactics in 2021. However, his defense was far from perfect; Norris overtook him, and Tsunoda was even handed a five-second penalty for forcing Norris off the track.
Norris overcame every challenge, and after a nerve-wracking 58 laps, the 26-year-old Briton became world champion for the first time. Verstappen ultimately did everything he could and won the race, but even that wasn’t enough — he still fell two points short of his fifth title. Oscar Piastri finished second in the race and also second in the drivers’ standings.
“I didn’t think I would cry, but I’m crying! First of all, I want to thank my boys, everyone at McLaren, my parents, my mum, my dad — they’re the ones who have supported me from the start,” Norris said in the post-race TV interview.
“It’s amazing. Now I kind of know what Max felt! I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two biggest rivals this season. It’s been a joy racing against them. It’s been an honour — I’ve learned a lot from both. I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a long year, but we did it, and I’m very proud of everyone.”
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| Photo: James Sutton |
Mercedes secured the runner-up spot in the constructors’ standings after Abu Dhabi, with Russell finishing fifth, while his teammate ended the race outside the points in fifteenth. Ferrari wrapped up what was arguably its worst season in years, finishing only fourth among the teams. They leave Abu Dhabi with sixteen points thanks to Leclerc’s fourth place and Hamilton’s eighth. For Hamilton, it was statistically his worst Formula 1 season ever, as he failed to reach the podium even once — a first in his F1 career.
Aston Martin’s pace during the race was surprisingly strong, particularly Alonso’s; he finished in a solid sixth place, with his teammate in tenth. Esteban Ocon also delivered a respectable result, finishing seventh.
Thanks to Nico Hülkenberg’s ninth place, Sauber said goodbye to Formula 1 with a points finish — next year, the team will officially become Audi.