In a nail-biting season finale, Britain's Lando Norris has been crowned the Formula One world champion after finishing third at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The McLaren driver secured the title by a mere two points from Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who won the race itself.
A Title Decided by the Finest of Margins
The championship battle went down to the very last race of the 2025 season at the Yas Marina Circuit. Norris entered the weekend with a 12-point lead over his closest rival. He needed to finish at least third to guarantee the title, regardless of where Verstappen placed. The Dutchman did all he could by winning the Grand Prix, but Norris's crucial third-place finish was enough to seal his maiden championship.
Subject to the final confirmation of results, Norris ends the season on 423 points, with Verstappen a close second on 421. Their McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, who led the standings for much of the year, finishes third in the championship on 410 points.
The Rollercoaster Season for McLaren
Norris's path to the title was anything but straightforward. He started the season strongly with a victory in Australia and led the championship after the opening rounds. However, Oscar Piastri then hit a rich vein of form, taking three wins and seizing the championship lead after the fifth round in Saudi Arabia.
The Australian held that top spot for an impressive 14 consecutive Grands Prix. Norris fought back with wins in Monaco, Austria, Britain, and Hungary, but a race-ending oil leak at the Dutch Grand Prix on August 31st, while Piastri won, left the Briton 24 points adrift of his teammate.
The momentum shifted again in the final third of the season. Norris outperformed Piastri over six races, moving ahead after the Mexican Grand Prix and extending his lead with a sprint and Grand Prix double victory in Brazil. The campaign then took another dramatic turn with McLaren's double disqualification in Las Vegas, which allowed Verstappen to close the gap significantly.
Historic Achievement for British Motorsport
By securing the championship, Lando Norris has etched his name into the history books. He becomes the 11th British driver to win the Formula One World Championship, ending the four-year reign of Max Verstappen. Verstappen's sequence began in 2021 when he dethroned the last British champion, Lewis Hamilton.
The title was ultimately secured thanks to a critical moment in the previous race in Qatar. There, Norris picked up two extra points in the closing laps after Kimi Antonelli ran off the track. Those points meant he only required a third-place finish in Abu Dhabi, rather than a more challenging second, a target he coolly achieved under immense pressure.
This victory marks a monumental achievement for the 26-year-old from Bristol and the McLaren team, culminating a season of intense rivalry, dramatic twists, and ultimate triumph on the sport's biggest stage.
