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Norris Clinches First F1 Title in Abu Dhabi With Third-Place Finish
Dec
Lando Norris claimed his first Formula 1 world title on Sunday night by finishing third in Abu Dhabi, crossing the line behind Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri.
He started the decider from second, lined up between Verstappen and his McLaren teammate Piastri. Norris knew a top-three finish would seal the 2025 championship no matter what his rivals did.
Piastri immediately passed him with a bold Lap 1 move, and Norris then had to defend against Charles Leclerc, fight through traffic after his first stop, and survive a tense wheel-to-wheel moment with Yuki Tsunoda. Despite the pressure, Norris held firm and secured the result he needed. Verstappen and Piastri both delivered clean, controlled races to take first and second.
The final standings were tight. Norris beat Verstappen by just two points, with Piastri 11 points further behind.
Top Five – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
- Max Verstappen – 1:26:07.469
- Oscar Piastri – +12.594s
- Lando Norris – +16.572s
- Charles Leclerc – +23.279s
- George Russell – +48.563s
Leclerc finished fourth, seven seconds behind Norris. Russell claimed fifth ahead of Fernando Alonso, while Esteban Ocon and Lewis Hamilton battled hard for places behind them. Nico Hulkenberg celebrated his 250th race with a charge to ninth, and Lance Stroll took the final point in 10th despite a penalty.
Further back, several drivers picked up penalties. Tsunoda dropped to 14th for weaving during his duel with Norris. Ollie Bearman fell from ninth to 12th after moving too many times while defending. Alex Albon also slipped down the order after speeding in the pit lane. Alpine endured another difficult race, with Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto finishing 19th and 20th.
How the Race Unfolded
Three drivers entered the finale with a shot at the title: Norris, Verstappen and Piastri. Verstappen struck first by taking pole, while Norris started with a 12-point lead over him and a 16-point lead over Piastri.
Most of the grid chose medium tyres at the start. Verstappen kept the lead into Turn 1, and Piastri’s daring outside pass on Norris at Turn 9 put the McLaren drivers under early tension. Norris stayed in the vital top three but had Leclerc in close pursuit. Russell recovered from a rough start, and several midfield battles drew attention from the stewards.
Strategy soon became key. Norris pitted on Lap 16 along with Leclerc and Alonso. He rejoined ahead of Russell but faced a pack of yet-to-stop cars. He cleared them with decisive moves, including a tense fight with Tsunoda that nearly sent him onto the grass. The stewards later penalized Tsunoda for weaving and cleared Norris of wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, Piastri extended his first stint on hard tyres and briefly led. Verstappen retook the lead after a later stop, and Piastri switched to mediums for a late push. He cut Verstappen’s 24-second gap in half, but the win stayed out of reach.
Norris focused on managing his pace and protecting his margin over Leclerc. With more than five seconds in hand, he avoided risk and brought the car home. Verstappen took the victory, Piastri followed him in second, and Norris crossed the line in third to seal the title.
After the Finish
Norris celebrated with donuts on the main straight before climbing onto his McLaren to salute the crowd.
“It feels amazing,” he said. “I want to thank everyone at McLaren and my parents. Max and Oscar pushed me all year, and I learned a lot from both of them. We worked hard, and I’m so proud of what we achieved.”
What’s Next
Teams now head into the winter break before returning to the track for 2026 pre-season testing in Barcelona from January 26-30.
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