The 2025 Formula 1 season delivered a Hollywood-worthy finale: Lando Norris was crowned world champion for the first time in his career after finishing third in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a result that allowed him to beat Max Verstappen in the overall standings by just two points. The Dutchman won the race at Yas Marina, but it was not enough to dethrone the McLaren driver, who completed the most remarkable comeback of his professional career.

In the final race of the year, Verstappen (Red Bull) dominated from the front, followed by Oscar Piastri, Norris’s teammate, sealing a 1–2 for McLaren in the Constructors' Championship. The British driver, without taking unnecessary risks, executed a flawless strategy that secured him the podium and the points required to clinch his first world title.

“It’s been a long journey. I didn’t think I would cry, but I did. Thank you to McLaren, to my parents, and to the whole team. We did it!”, said an emotional Norris after stepping out of his car. Moments earlier, he had embraced his parents, Verstappen, and several colleagues in a highly emotional scene inside parc fermé.

“Now I know a little bit about how Max feels,” he added, referencing the Dutchman’s dominance during his four consecutive titles from 2021 to 2024.

A historic comeback

Norris’s path to the championship was far from easy. After retiring from the Dutch Grand Prix —the 15th round of the season— he fell 34 points behind Piastri, and it seemed his teammate would deny him the chance to become world champion. However, the British driver delivered a spectacular turnaround, winning two more races for a total of seven victories this year and steadily regaining ground.

The final blow arrived in Abu Dhabi, where a conservative yet effective race strategy secured him third place, enough to close a championship that will be remembered for its intensity up to the very last lap.

Verstappen defeated by two points

Max Verstappen did everything he needed to do: he won the Grand Prix, claimed his eighth victory of the season, and once again displayed the performance that enabled him to dominate Formula 1 for much of the decade. But Norris’s consistency in the second half of the season —and his ability to avoid critical mistakes— cost the Dutchman his fifth world title.

Verstappen ended the year as runner-up, just two points behind Norris.

Franco Colapinto closes a difficult year

Argentina’s Franco Colapinto, driving for Alpine, started from 20th position and finished in the same place, unable to find pace or opportunities to move forward in a challenging weekend. He concludes an irregular season marked by performance issues and a lack of development in his car.

Final Podium in Abu Dhabi

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 2025 World Champion

Formula 1 closes a thrilling season with a new world champion who ends Verstappen’s reign and opens a new chapter for McLaren, returning to the top of world motorsport after more than a decade.