YAS MARINA, Abu Dhabi — In lower than 48 hours, we may have a brand new Method 1 world champion. Lando Norris enters the season finale in Abu Dhabi with a slender lead, with Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri respiratory down his neck.
It is the primary time since 2010 that greater than two drivers come into the ultimate race of the season with an opportunity on the title. So how did it come to this? And what has Friday follow instructed us in regards to the trio’s title hopes?
Laurence Edmondson and Nate Saunders look again on the highs and lows of the campaigns of Norris, Verstappen and Piastri, and analyze Friday’s follow classes for any insights about who’s finest positioned to win the crown come Sunday.
Lando Norris
Championship place: 1st
Factors: 408
Wins: 7
Greatest end in Abu Dhabi: 1st (2024)
Story of their season: Private progress has been the secret this yr. Preseason favourite Norris got here into the season crimson sizzling, profitable the opener in Melbourne, however errors shortly crept in and he discovered himself out-performed by extra inexperienced teammate Piastri and out-raced by Verstappen at grands prix like Miami, elevating the identical outdated questions on his fortitude and skill to deal with stress. However to his credit score, he has revived issues in current months. Norris’ title cost seemed useless and buried after a automobile failure at August’s Dutch GP, however his kind since then vaulted him again into the lead of the championship. He goes into the finale because the overwhelming favourite.
Greatest drive: There are just a few candidates, together with his opening-day win in a chaotic, rain-affected Australian Grand Prix, when Verstappen was chasing him down late on. That one was good, however most spectacular was his dominant win in Mexico Metropolis in October, a victory which encapsulated the spirit of his late-season revival. He completed 30 seconds away from the subsequent quickest automobile in what is perhaps the perfect particular person efficiency of his profession thus far — a reminder that Norris, on his day, might be near untouchable.
Lowest second: Just a few of the errors Norris made earlier within the yr, however you’ll be able to’t look previous his clumsy race-ending collision with Piastri in Montreal. The transfer appeared missing in conviction and was manna from heaven for all these within the camp that thinks Norris’ race craft has by no means been ok to be thought of an elite driver.
What a title would do for his repute: For Norris, a championship could be vindication that you do not have to be a ruthless, cold-blooded Verstappen sort to win a title. Norris has embraced psychological wellness since making his Method 1 debut in 2019 and has proven a vulnerability not normally seen on this sport by talking candidly about pre-race nerves and his struggles with psychological well being as a younger competitor. He is by no means cared for the critics, and a championship would silence them in spectacular trend. Whether or not it might have satisfied everybody stays to be seen however, when you’ll be able to name your self world drivers’ champion, who cares?
Max Verstappen
Championship place: 2nd
Factors: 396
Wins: 7
Greatest end in Abu Dhabi: 1st (2021, 2022, 2023)
Story of his season: Verstappen actually should not be right here, however he has made it by way of his unimaginable items behind the wheel, which have helped speed up a midseason revival for his Purple Bull staff. Method 1 has witnessed one thing really outstanding because the August break, with Verstappen overturning a 104-point deficit to enter the ultimate race with a reputable shot of the championship. Wins in Italy, Azerbaijan, Singapore, Austin and Las Vegas have vaulted him again into competition and lodged him firmly and rent-free into the minds of everybody sporting McLaren’s papaya-colored uniforms.
Greatest second: Whereas loads of focus has gone onto the races within the tail finish of the season, a victory earlier within the yr confirmed Verstappen at his best possible. Beginning third at Imola’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, his transfer across the exterior of George Russell and Piastri at Flip 1 was completely breathtaking. Even long-time Verstappen critic Russell was awestruck, later saying: “Greatest overtake I’ve seen in a hell of a very long time.” It was arduous to disagree. In a season of monumental Verstappen moments on observe, it was arduous to boil this award down to 1 singular occasion, however Imola has to take the cake.
Honorable non-F1 point out, as if to spotlight the purpose about his elegant season: Verstappen’s drive to victory on the fearsome Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit in his first ever sports activities automobile endurance race within the weekend between wins in Italy and Azerbaijan. Unprecedented stuff for the fashionable period.
Lowest second: Whereas we have seen loads of the perfect of Verstappen in 2025, we additionally noticed one massive instance of the worst. The Dutchman had a second of rage on the finish of the Spanish Grand Prix, slamming his automobile into the facet of Russell’s Mercedes whereas incensed in regards to the stewarding of the occasion. Verstappen has since admitted it’s a second that ought to not have occurred, nevertheless it confirmed that even along with his expertise and 4 championships, he can nonetheless often overstep the road.
What a title would do for his repute: Verstappen is already an F1 nice however many within the paddock assume a fifth this yr, in these circumstances, would possibly push him over the sting within the debate across the sport’s GOAT. That’s subjective, however no matter whether or not he wins the title this weekend, Verstappen’s 2025 won’t be replicated once more any time quickly. Greater than some other season in his sensational profession, this one has defied logic and established as concrete proven fact that Verstappen is the lead expertise on the grid proper now — and it may not even be shut.
Oscar Piastri
Championship place: third
Factors: 392
Wins: 7
Greatest end in Abu Dhabi: sixth (2023)
Story of their season: Piastri’s season has been a curious one. For just a few months within the first half of the yr, he seemed like a Verstappen clone, driving brilliantly and ruthlessly. His season has imploded since his win on the Dutch Grand Prix, the place he opened up a 34-point lead. A curious wrinkle on his 2025 has been the inner dynamic with him and the McLaren staff: Piastri begrudgingly accepted a staff order to let Norris by per week after his Zandvoort win in Monza and he has by no means seemed the identical since. His collapse from that time will go down as one of many worst the game has ever seen ought to he go away Sunday’s race with out the championship.
Greatest drive: There are just a few candidates right here, however one stands out above all as a world-championship-calibre second. Piastri’s victory on the Miami Grand Prix included an exhilarating, nerveless go on Verstappen after a multi-lap battle with the Purple Bull driver. It was a stark distinction to how Norris had meekly surrendered the result in Verstappen earlier within the contest. Piastri additionally slammed the door shut on Verstappen to guide in Saudi Arabia, however his Miami tussle confirmed poise and a willingness to take the battle to the Dutchman when so many others crumble.
Lowest second: It is a matter of perspective. Many would possibly say Monza, the place Piastri obeyed a questionable and hotly debated request to let Norris previous after McLaren modified their pit-stop sequencing after which botched the latter’s cease. Piastri himself admitted he was nonetheless pissed off by these occasions two weeks later, and it is arduous to look any additional than what that culminated in. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix needs to be his lowest second; even with the occasions of Monza, Piastri had an iron grip on the championship. Baku modified all that, with a careless crash in qualifying adopted by a fair clumsier one within the race itself. Piastri has seemed a shell of himself since.
What a championship would do for his repute: Whereas a Verstappen title could be beautiful, a Piastri championship could be simply as compelling from a fan standpoint. Clearly, it might be a outstanding restoration after his late-season collapse, one which has been genuinely tough to observe at occasions. It might justify the large reward he was receiving earlier within the yr as a third-year F1 champion and would possibly revive the comparisons to Verstappen, even when these appeared untimely on the time. Many would additionally level out how he overcame each his personal errors and lingering frustrations with how McLaren has overseen the season to assert the title. A Piastri championship could be a captivating dynamic for all concerned going into 2026.
Abu Dhabi insights from Friday
Norris seemed like the motive force to beat this weekend based mostly on Friday’s operating in Abu Dhabi, setting the quickest time forward of Verstappen in each the primary and second practices. The occasions from first follow can largely be disregarded because the session takes place within the warmth of the early afternoon and isn’t consultant of circumstances for qualifying and the race, however that makes the info from the twilight session within the afternoon all of the extra useful.
Norris was 0.363 seconds sooner than Verstappen on comparable soft-tire laps in second follow, with the McLaren driver holding a 0.155-seconds benefit within the comparatively high-speed first sector and a 0.296-seconds benefit within the slower-speed last sector. Verstappen was 0.088 seconds sooner than Norris within the center sector, which includes two lengthy straights linked by the Flip 6 and seven chicane, however differing gasoline ranges and engine modes can skew Friday follow occasions throughout the board.
Regardless of the robust begin, Norris wasn’t utterly joyful when he jumped out of the automobile and mentioned there was nonetheless room for enchancment.
“I imply, clearly, from the occasions and every part, issues are good on the minute, however nonetheless desire a bit extra from the automobile,” Norris mentioned after the session. “I am not utterly joyful, not utterly assured, we’re a bit in the midst of making an attempt some various things and making an attempt to know some issues with the automobile.”
Piastri didn’t participate in first follow because the session had at all times been earmarked as one of many two FP1s that the rules demand he hand his automobile to a rookie driver — on this case, McLaren’s IndyCar star Pato O’Ward. In second follow, he may solely handle the eleventh quickest time, 0.680 seconds off his teammate.
“I believe I received there fairly effectively on the medium [tire], simply the smooth did not get essentially the most out of the grip on that first timed lap,” he mentioned. “So I am discovering my toes, I believe. However yeah, clearly some issues to try to enhance for tomorrow, however I believe after only one session, not too unhealthy.”
Piastri’s first try on smooth tires was the sooner of his two sizzling laps in FP2 and had no clear errors. Onboard footage confirmed a slight wrestle to get the automobile was corners and he radioed his staff saying he wanted extra entrance wing — a easy setup change that would assist him discover a happier stability in time for last follow and qualifying on Saturday.
The primary and last sectors of Piastri’s second try had been really sooner than his first lap, however he gave away a major period of time within the center sector with a lock up forward of Flip 6. Had he attached his three finest sectors, he would have been 0.551 seconds off Norris — nonetheless a major margin over one lap and one he should shut for qualifying to stay in real looking competition.
Common lap occasions from the lengthy runs within the second half of the session recommended the McLaren drivers maintain the higher hand over Verstappen’s Purple Bull on race tempo. However the comparability was barely skewed by Verstappen finishing 15 laps uninterrupted whereas Norris solely did an eight-lap run and Piastri a seven-lap stint.
“It was fairly OK,” Verstappen mentioned. “I imply, I used to be pretty pleased with the automobile. We simply have to be in all probability somewhat bit sooner. I believe, yeah, nonetheless not fast sufficient. However I believe total, for us, I believe we have been in an honest window round right here.”
One among Purple Bull’s strengths this yr has been enhancing the automobile between Friday follow and Saturday qualifying. In accordance with Verstappen, it might want to do the identical this weekend to place him within the combine with the McLarens.
“Looks like it is a first rate hole that we have to shut,” he mentioned. “However from our facet, we’ll simply attempt to put the perfect automobile ahead. And, yeah, let’s have a look at how a lot we will discover in a single day … Single lap and long term must be higher.”
Primarily based on Friday follow, the scenario may be very a lot benefit: Norris heading into qualifying. The one query is whether or not he and McLaren can deal with the stress over the remainder of the weekend.
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