Lando Norris has secured a boost in pursuit of his first F1 world championship after avoiding a punishment for overtaking Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen contending for the lead.
After Norris suffered a slow start to the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen held his pole position after the first lap, as he bids to make up a 12-point gap to Norris and secure a fifth world title, but an opportunistic Piastri moved ahead of his teammate to keep his own title hopes alive.
Norris has also discovered graining issues after struggling during the first few laps of the 58-lap race around the Yas Marina Circuit. George Russell also slipped back before an early stop in the Mercedes, with Charles Leclerc up a place to fourth to heap pressure on Norris.
Norris only needs a podium to claim his first title, but if he drops to fourth or lower, a victory for Verstappen would seal his fifth consecutive championship and complete the most remarkable of comebacks from a 104-point deficit in the summer. Piastri needs to win and hope teammate Norris finishes sixth or lower.
Follow live updates from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with The Independent
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F1 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- Lando Norris drops to third with Oscar Piastri overtake on first lap
- Piastri on hard tyre strategy and moves into first place ahead of Verstappen
- Max Verstappen started on pole; Norris 2nd; Piastri 3rd
- Norris needs a podium to win the title; anything less and Verstappen can snatch the championship
- COMMENT: Lando Norris can play it down all he likes – an F1 world title would put him among the elite
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 38 of 58 - Norris has a comfort zone
14:00 , Mike JonesThe gap between Norris and Verstappen is near enough the same as between Norris and Leclerc.
If Leclerc pits so will Norris to ensure he keeps hold of third place.
McLaren’s focus is now on Piastri who needs to change tyres. He’s losing time to Verstappen now.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 37 of 58
13:57 , Mike JonesThere’s activity in the McLaren garage. Piastri may be thinking about coming in.
On the radio Norris is told: “You’re doing a great job against Leclerc, he might pit soon and we’ll cover it.”
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 35 of 58 - Norris opening gap
13:54 , Mike JonesLando Norris is opening up more of a gap on Charles Leclerc.
It’s now up to +4.296 seconds.
Verstappen is told to push fast to the end of the race and try not to give up much time to Piastri when he stops.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 33 of 58 - Tsunoda defence 'dangerous and unnecessary'
13:52 , Mike JonesMcLaren boss Zak Brown has been on the pit wall talking about Yuki Tsunoda defending his place from Lando Norris.
He says: "I think it was clearly the right decision, it was a dangerous and unnecessary manoeuvre.
“This is a team sport, I'm not surprise by Red Bull's communications, you have to put that one on Yuki going over the line, it's a dangerous manoeuvre, but we're OK now."
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 32 of 58 - Verstappen closing gap
13:50 , Mike JonesNorris remains a couple of seconds ahead of Leclerc who may be considering another stop and undercut later in this race.
Max Verstappen, meanwhile, is closing on Oscar Piastri who still has to pit and switch tyres.
As things stand Norris will be world champion. Plenty of time to go in this race.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 30 of 58
13:48 , Kieran Jackson in Abu DhabiBang on cue - Tsunoda gets a five-second time penalty for "more than one change of direction." And the investigation on Norris is dismissed.
A double sigh of relief down at McLaren. We move on with Norris unaffected...
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 30 of 58
13:47 , Kieran Jackson in Abu DhabiThat overtake from Norris on Tsunoda remains under investigation, as does the Japanese driver’s questionable weaving on that back straight.
You’d have thought the two will cancel each other out but, as we know with the FIA, don’t rule anything out.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 29 of 58 - Piastri needs to pit
13:45 , Mike JonesOscar Piastri is on the hard tyre and will need to pit.
McLaren need to decide when to get him in and will want to avoid being Charles Leclerc getting ahead of him.
Decisions to be made here.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 27 of 58
13:44 , Mike JonesCurrent top five:
1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 26 of 58
13:42 , Mike JonesCharles Leclerc has overtaken Yuki Tsunoda as well and this one was a lot smoother.
The stewards are looking at the Norris incident. They’re looking into Tsunoda forcing Norris off track which will be a relief to McLaren.
Leclerc has set the new quickest lap time but he’s a couple of seconds behind Norris.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 25 of 58 - Verstappen pits!
13:40 , Mike JonesTsunoda was weaving around before that Norris overtake which forced Norris off track.
Max Verstappen has gone into the pit lane with plenty of time to get back onto track in second place.
Oscar Piastri leads.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 23 of 58 - Norris overtakes!
13:39 , Mike JonesLando Norris sweeps out to the left and goes on the overtake.
Tsunoda forces him off the track to try and avoid the move and Norris may have gone off track.
He gets around the Red Bull and Norris is into third place again!
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 23 of 58 - Tsunoda slowing Norris down
13:37 , Mike JonesYuki Tsunoda is leaving Red Bull after this race but he’s doing a fine job of helping out Max Verstappen.
Tsunoda’s role right now is to slow down Lando Norris as much as possible and build up Verstappen’s lead.
Norris needs to get past him as quickly as he can.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 22 of 58 - Leclerc going well
13:35 , Mike JonesCharles Leclerc has moved through the traffic as easily as Lando Norris and is piling the pressure on.
Tsunoda is up to third and nearly 24 seconds behind Verstappen who leads the race.
Norris will have DRS on him within a lap or so.
Leclerc meanwhile is less than two seconds behind the McLaren of Norris.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 20 of 58
13:33 , Mike JonesTwo in one!
Norris reels in Lance Stroll and Liam Lawson to make it up to fifth place.
He’s now behind Yuki Tsunoda who is Max Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate.
Norris is driving brilliantly but he’s losing time to both Verstappen and Oscar Piastri.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 19 of 58 - Norris overtakes Antonelli!
13:31 , Mike JonesThat’s a lovely move from Lando Norris who moves on the inside of Kimi Antonelli and commits to the overtake.
He gets past then makes quick work of Carlos Sainz’s Williams.
Norris is back up to seventh.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 18 of 58 - Plan A for Piastri
13:30 , Mike JonesMcLaren have radioed Piastri and asked whether they can stick with Plan A.
He says yes. That looks like Piastri will go long on the hard tyres.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 17 of 58 - Norris pits!
13:28 , Mike Jones“Keep building this gap on Leclerc, it gives us choices.”
That’s the message to Lando Norris who then heads into the pits.
2.1 seconds is the stop time as Leclerc follows him into the pit lane.
Norris gets back on track in ninth place behind Kimi Antonelli!
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 16 of 58
13:26 , Mike JonesCurrent top five:
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Russell is down in 14th now just ahead of Lewis Hamilton and rejoined the race in traffic.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 15 of 58
13:25 , Mike JonesCharles Leclerc has dropped a little further behind Norris and seems to be feeling some affect of graining on the tyres as well.
George Russell has told his team to box so he and switch the tyres.
He’s trying to undercut Charles Leclerc!
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 14 of 58
13:23 , Mike JonesGeorge Russell has taken back a place with a nice move on Fernando Alonso.
Up at the top, Max Verstappen is doing his best to create enough space for a simple pit stop but Piastri is holding him with two seconds distance.
Norris has mentioned graining on his tyres. He won’t want to have to deal with unprecedented degradation.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 12 of 58
13:20 , Mike Jones“So far so good,” says Zak Brown on the McLaren pit wall.
“I can’t say we’re comfortable but we’re in good shape and need to manage the risk.”
Brown added: “No, not a surprise [to see the McLarens swap positions after the first lap]."
Norris is +1.084 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc in fourth.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 10 of 58
13:18 , Mike JonesRace settling down after first lap thrills.
In the middle of the pack, Lewis Hamilton began on soft tyres, moved up a couple of places and is now on the hards to try and make use of the one-stop strategy.
Ferrari will hope he can get to the end of the race now.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 9 of 58
13:16 , Mike Jones“Let’s see if we can start putting Verstappen under pressure.”
That’s the message from McLaren to Oscar Piastri.
The quicker he goes the quicker Lando Norris can go behind him as well.
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 7 of 58
13:14 , Mike JonesOscar Piastri has to win this race but he’s being distanced by Max Verstappen who has total control of the race at present.
The Red Bull garage message the race leader and say: “This is good for now Max. We may wish to go longer so just keep on top [of tyre wear].”
F1 Abu Dhabi GP | Lap 5 of 58
13:11 , Mike JonesGood news for Lando Norris who has started to extend his gap over Charles Leclerc.
It’s now over a second and the longer it goes the more comfortable he’ll feel.
He remains in third place and that would be enough to win him the world championship.
McLaren on split tyre strategy
13:08 , Mike JonesOscar Piastri is on a different strategy to the other two contenders.
He started out on the hard tyres and completed that overtake on Norris to perfection. He’s planning on remaining out on track longer than Verstappen and Norris.
Norris is only half a second or so ahead of Leclerc.
Russell drops down
13:07 , Mike JonesIt’s been a thrilling first lap, George Russell has dropped down two places into sixth with Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso overtaking him.
Norris now has to fend off the challenge from Leclerc who will hav DRS.
Norris needs to stick with the two cars ahead of him.
Verstappen blocks off Norris!
13:05 , Mike JonesMax Verstappen comes across immediately to block off Lando Norris who weaves out onto the outside for the first corner.
All three contenders head through in the same order.
Piastri pushes up and gets into the slipstream of Norris. He uses the extra boost to sweep past his teammate which takes him into second!
Lights out!🟢
13:03 , Mike JonesRed Bull and Max Verstappen will try to control this race and keep as many cars in contention as long as possible to disrupt the two McLarens.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri might try to get themselves ahead early on.
The countdown begins, the lights turn green, we’re off!
A quick reminder of the starting grid:
12:58 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen - Red Bull
2. Lando Norris - McLaren
3. Oscar Piastri - McLaren
4. George Russell - Mercedes
5. Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
6. Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin
7. Gabriel Bortoleto - Sauber
8. Esteban Ocon - Haas
9. Isack Hadjar - Racing Bulls
10. Yuki Tsunoda - Red Bull
11. Ollie Bearman - Haas
12. Carlos Sainz - Williams
13. Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls
14. Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes
15. Lance Stroll - Aston Martin
16. Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari
17. Alex Albon - Williams
19. Nico Hulkenberg - Sauber
19. Pierre Gasly - Alpine
20. Franco Colapinto - Alpine
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
12:57 , Mike JonesHere we go then.
A season of racing all comes down to this. Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri are all vying to become Formula 1 World Champion.
The permutations have been spoken about, the feelings of the drivers are well known.
There can only be one winner. 58 laps to decide, history in the making.
Let’s get into it, who will triumph in Abu Dhabi?
Verstappen 'ready to go'
12:54 , Mike JonesThe four-time world champion said: "Slept good, ready to go.
“The plan is to win the race, rely on a bit of luck from behind. We'll try everything as a team, actually."
What role will Mercedes play?
12:54 , Kieran Jackson in Abu DhabiI just saw Lando Norris’s dad Adam give George Russell a quick fist pump as he left the grid.
What role could the Mercedes driver play today from fourth on the grid?
Piastri has belief
12:52 , Mike Jones“There is still the belief, still the hope, but I need a few things to happen.
“It wouldn’t be the first time in F1 history that things have happened so, I try and make sure I put myself in the right spot at the right time and go ahead and try to win the race.
“That’s all I can do.”
Celebs on the grid
12:50 , Mike Jones10 minutes to go until this race gets going. There are plenty of celebrity fans in attendance in Abu Dhabi, what kind of spectacle will the F1 finale provide for them?
Norris aiming to win the race
12:48 , Mike Jones"Disappointed not to be on pole for the final weekend but we just weren't fast enough," said Norris after yesterday’s qualifying session.
"I still want to win [today] and that's going to be the goal."
Rosberg can relate to Norris
12:43 , Mike JonesNico Rosberg revealed that he had reached out to Lando Norris ahead of today’s world title battle but got no reply.
"[I reached out to Norris] just on Instagram,” Rosberg said on Sky Sports F1.
“I can super relate with him and my situation, but I got ignored, maybe he read it."
Norris told to be ‘prudent’ by McLaren boss
12:38 , Mike JonesMcLaren team principal Andrea Stella has urged Lando Norris to be “prudent” at the start of Sunday’s title-deciding F1 race in Abu Dhabi.
“From Lando’s point of view, considering the inside at turn one in Abu Dhabi, I think he should just be relatively prudent,” Stella said, in his written media session on Saturday night.
“It is not one of those where from the inside you necessarily get the better exit, the car on the outside can be close. So I think there will be some prudency, which is what I would recommend.
“Lando is in a very strong position. I think that's the approach, also in terms of the options that Max has available to try.”
There's barely room to walk
12:38 , Kieran Jackson in Abu DhabiI’ve done a fair few grids and, unsurprisingly, this by far the busiest I’ve ever been on.
Barely room to move at the front near the championship protagonists.
Max Verstappen's greatest day?
12:36 , Kieran Jackson/The IndependentVerstappen gets wheeled to the grid for the 24th and final time this year for a Grand Prix.
Could this be his greatest day?
Can Norris handle the nerves?
12:33 , Mike JonesOne of Formula 1’s reported nice guys Lando Norris is within touching distance of winning his first world drivers’ title and making history.
The Independent’s F1 correspondent, Kieran Jackson, is in Abu Dhabi and reported that Norris looked more nervous than usual during the pre-race commitments.
Norris will have plenty going through his mind but once the green light shines at the Yas Marina Circuit it’ll be go time.
Can Norris handle the nerves and clinch the title?
Drivers on track for reconnaissance laps
12:28 , Mike JonesOscar Piastri led out the rest of the grid for the reconnaissance laps ahead of the start of this race.
These are a few pre-race laps which help the drivers get a feel for the conditions, wind resistance, on track feel etc before the action begins.
The anticipation is building wonderfully in Abu Dhabi.
Verstappen going 'all out' to win title
12:26 , Mike Jones“I’m going all out, I have nothing to lose,” Ma Verstappen revealed ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“I’m going to try and win the race – if I need to attack, I will attack.
“Let’s see what we can do. In the back of my mind, we want to score a lot of points but also we need a bit of luck with what happens behind us.
“But we can talk about strategy for two hours and then after lap one, it can all be thrown in the bin.”
Verstappen focused and relaxed
12:21 , Kieran Jackson in Abu Dhabi“Tell you who’ll be cooler than Norris… Max Verstappen.
“The Dutchman in conversation with long-term adviser Helmut Marko as he puts on his helmet ahead of the reconnaissance laps.”
Final race vibes
12:19 , Kieran Jackson in Abu DhabiLando joking around with his mechanics in the garage amid a melee just outside, final race vibes.
Max Verstappen strikes first blow with stunning Abu Dhabi pole
12:16 , Kieran Jackson in Abu DhabiContrary to popular belief, it is seldom we see or hear the full-blooded array of emotions we know Max Verstappen possesses deep in his psyche. Max 2.0 is no longer “Mad Max”; this is the new-and-improved version, still laser-focused but ultimately happier-than-ever. Four F1 titles in the cabinet, a fifth is a simple bonus. And it is that mantra which is inching him ever closer to an unprecedented comeback.
Yet on Saturday night under the Yas Marina bulbs, the Dutchman couldn’t resist a recrudesce. “Let’s f****** go, that was insane,” Verstappen beamed over team radio, immediately after setting not one but two laps worthy of a dominant pole position at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Verstappen strikes blow with Abu Dhabi pole – Norris better be ready for a dogfight
Can Verstappen pull off remarkable upset?
12:11 , Mike JonesMax Verstappen looked out of the running just a few weeks ago but his resurgence in the back third of the season has placed him within touching distance of a fifth world title.
His best chance of claiming it is to win the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi but even then other factors must go his way.
Lando Norris has to finish fourth or worse (if Verstappen wins) for the Dutchman to clinch the title at the very last opportunity. If he does not win then he must outscore Norris by 13 points and make sure Oscar Piastri does not beat him by five or more.
Verstappen starts on pole and should get away quickly. Norris is next to him on the grid so it should be an interesting start to the first corner.
Sports stars in attendance
12:10 , Kieran Jackson in Abu DhabiOk, biggest mob of people is for Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho. Just hope David Seaman isn’t present today…
What happens if the championship is tied?
12:05 , Mike JonesThough unlikely to happen there is the possibility that the drivers’ championship ends up in a tie at the end of the Abu Dhabi race.
In that scenario, the world title would be handed out based on a race countback with the driver who has the most race wins this season becoming champion.
At present, all three of Verstappen, Norris and Piastri have seven race wins so should that remain the same after this grand prix the championship would be handed to the driver with the most second place finishes.
That is Norris and he cannot be caught even if one of the other two contenders finishes there this afternoon.
Top-10 driver standings heading into the race:
12:00 , Kieran JacksonNorris’s lead to Verstappen is 12 points.
1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 408 points
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 396 points
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 392 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 309 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 230 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 152 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 152 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 73 points
9. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 64 points
10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 51 points
Sinner in the house
11:55 , Kieran Jackson in Abu Dhabi“This guy can barely walk a few metres before getting mobbed with a selfie request.
“Another genuine F1 fan in world No 2 tennis star Jannik Sinner.”
Abu Dhabi paddock is very busy
11:50 , Kieran Jackson in Abu Dhabi“Down in a very busy Abu Dhabi paddock, overheard Sam Ryder - a genuine F1 fan - explaining to a group of people how Verstappen can try and back the pack up today and get Russell involved with the McLarens.
“One of the good guys, he knows his stuff.”
What does Oscar Piastri need to win the 2025 F1 world championship in Abu Dhabi?
11:40 , Kieran JacksonNorris will win the world championship if he finishes on the podium at the Yas Marina Circuit. A minimum third place (15 points) in Abu Dhabi would give Norris an unassailable 27-point lead.
Piastri has a difficult task now. Put simply: he needs to score 17 more points than Norris and five more points than Verstappen to guarantee the title. At a minimum, he must finish in second place or higher to have a chance.
What could this look like in reality? If Piastri wins the grand prix, Norris would have to finish in sixth place or lower and Verstappen in second place or lower.
If Piastri finishes second, he’d need Norris to finish ninth or lower and Verstappen to finish fourth or lower. If Piastri finishes third or lower, he will not win the championship.
A reminder of the starting grid for today's race:
11:30 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen - Red Bull
2. Lando Norris - McLaren
3. Oscar Piastri - McLaren
4. George Russell - Mercedes
5. Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
6. Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin
7. Gabriel Bortoleto - Sauber
8. Esteban Ocon - Haas
9. Isack Hadjar - Racing Bulls
10. Yuki Tsunoda - Red Bull
11. Ollie Bearman - Haas
12. Carlos Sainz - Williams
13. Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls
14. Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes
15. Lance Stroll - Aston Martin
16. Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari
17. Alex Albon - Williams
19. Nico Hulkenberg - Sauber
19. Pierre Gasly - Alpine
20. Franco Colapinto - Alpine
Piastri still has 'hope' he can topple Norris and Verstappen to land world championship
11:15 , Kieran Jackson at Yas Marina CircuitPiastri: “There’s still the belief and hope, I need a few things to happen but it wouldn’t be the first time in F1 history, try and out myself in the right place and right time and try and win the race.
Russell: “I’m feeling chilled, it’ll be an exciting race. There’ll be opportunities, it definitely won’t be a normal race, maybe a bit of backing up going on.”
What does Max Verstappen need to win the 2025 F1 world championship in Abu Dhabi?
11:10 , Kieran JacksonNorris will win the world championship if he finishes on the podium at the Yas Marina Circuit. A minimum third place (15 points) in Abu Dhabi would give Norris an unassailable 27-point lead.
Fourth place (12 points) for Norris would give the Brit a 24-point lead and, thus, if Verstappen then won the race, the Dutchman would take the title by one point.
Alternatively, put simply, Verstappen needs to score 13 more points than Norris. If Verstappen finished second, he would need Norris to finish eighth or lower.
Lando Norris looking nervous during pre-race commitments in Abu Dhabi
11:06 , Kieran Jackson at Yas Marina CircuitAn earlier start for the drivers' pre-race commitments, as they take their place on the start-finish straight for the traditional end-of-season photo before they do the drivers' parade around the track, writes F1 Correspondent Kieran Jackson.
Lando Norris, it has to be said, looked nervous as the drivers chatted in a group before making their way on the circuit. The Briton lines up at the front of the photo with Max Verstappen on his left and Oscar Piastri on his right.
One of them will be a world champion by 7pm tonight.