Lando Norris is Formula 1 World Champion for the first time. Third place at the season finale in Abu Dhabi is enough for the Briton in the McLaren to become the 35th champion in the premier class of motorsport.
07.12.2025, 15:52
07.12.2025, 15:59
SDA
Defending champion Max Verstappen in the Red Bull did everything he could to become world champion for the fifth time in a row. The Dutchman celebrated his eighth GP victory of the year from pole position, his 71st overall.
In the end, however, Verstappen was narrowly beaten by Norris in the championship standings with 421:423 points. Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri, who would still have had a minimal mathematical chance of winning the World Championship title in the 24th and final Grand Prix of the season, finished the floodlit race in second place and thus the World Championship in third place with 410 points.
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However, it was not quite that easy for Norris in the big showdown. Starting from second position behind Verstappen, the 26-year-old Englishman lost a position on the very first lap when team-mate Piastri passed the championship leader. As a result, Norris had to defend his podium position vigorously over several laps against Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari. No sooner had this danger been averted than the first pit stop was due. Norris then dropped back to ninth place and had to laboriously work his way back up the field.
On his way through the field, Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, among others, got in his way and tried his best to slow him down. After a tough but clean overtaking maneuver, the worst was over.
Ten laps before the end, Verstappen asked his crew on the radio: "Is Leclerc Norris getting closer now?" But the Dutchman had to be put off at the Red Bull command post; no more help was to be expected from the Ferrari in fifth place in the world championship. Norris was therefore able to secure the title win with the necessary podium finish.
Norris follows Hamilton at McLaren
For the first time in 1457 days, the world champion is no longer Max Verstappen. The youngest Grand Prix winner in Formula 1 history heralded his title era four years ago at the same venue after an epic duel with Lewis Hamilton.
As the runner-up in the world championship, Verstappen may formally be the first loser, but his season still deserves the utmost respect. In view of the impressive race to catch up, he managed to hold off the superior McLaren duo, the team with the fastest cars in the field, as a lone fighter until the very end.
For McLaren, it is the first drivers' title since 2008, when Lewis Hamilton celebrated his first world championship title with the traditional racing team before switching to Mercedes. In the Constructors' Championship, on the other hand, McLaren had already won for the second time in a row since the beginning of October; further proof of the dominance of the team from Woking this year.
Sauber scores points at Dernière
The season finale in Abu Dhabi on Sunday marked the end of an important chapter in Swiss motorsport history. When the chequered flag was waved at the Yas Marina Circuit, the name "Sauber" appeared for the last time in a Formula 1 classification.
Under the watchful eye of team founder Peter Sauber, who was on hand to see the team off, Nico Hülkenberg, who started from 18th on the grid, scored two more points for the Zurich-based racing team in ninth place. The German benefited from a retrospective penalty against Lance Stroll in the Aston Martin and Oliver Bearman in the Haas. However, this was not enough to overtake Haas in 8th place in the Constructors' Championship. Gabriel Bortoleto, who started from 7th on the grid in the second Sauber car, had to settle for 11th place.
After more than three decades, the Hinwil-based team is finally saying goodbye to its traditional name. In three months' time, the team will tackle the 2026 world championship season in Melbourne as the Audi works team.
