KATHMANDU: Lando Norris has been crowned the 2025 Formula 1 World Champion after finishing third in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Even though Max Verstappen won the race, Norris scored enough points to secure the title. He won the championship by a tight two-point margin.
Norris’ result also confirmed a strong season for McLaren. His teammate Oscar Piastri finished second in the championship.
The Abu Dhabi race started with Piastri overtaking Norris on the first lap. Norris struggled in the early laps, while Piastri held second place. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc kept heavy pressure on Norris, forcing McLaren to push Piastri to increase his speed.
Norris and Leclerc pitted on Lap 17. Norris rejoined in ninth but quickly overtook several cars to move back into the top five. Leclerc had strong pace later in the race but could not pass Norris. The McLaren driver stayed in third until the finish.
Max Verstappen took the race victory. It was his eighth win of the season, the highest for any driver this year, but it was not enough to stop Norris from taking the championship.
The final points battle ended with Lando Norris becoming the World Champion, while Max Verstappen finished just 2 points behind him. McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri completed the season 11 points behind Norris, highlighting how close the 2025 title fight was.
After the race, Sheikh Theyab bin Zayed Al Nahyan handed Norris the World Champion’s trophy. He also presented the race-winner’s trophy to Verstappen.
Norris becomes the 11th British driver to win the F1 Drivers’ Championship and gives McLaren its first world title since 2008.
The Abu Dhabi finale also marked the end of Red Bull’s partnership with Honda and the final race featuring DRS (Drag Reduction System). DRS allowed drivers to open the rear wing for extra speed and easier overtakes.
From 2026, DRS will be discontinued as Formula 1 rolls out new car and engine regulations. The upcoming cars will be lighter, produce less dirty air, and use automatic aerodynamic systems to help cars follow more closely.
