Verstappen Ends Season with Abu Dhabi Win Despite Championship Loss
Max Verstappen capped off his 2025 campaign with a commanding victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, though it wasn’t enough to secure his fifth consecutive championship.
The Dutchman crossed the finish line first but fell just 2 points short in the final standings as Lando Norris held onto third place to clinch his first world title.
Going into the race, Verstappen needed to win while Norris had to finish fourth or lower for Max to retain his crown. Many wondered if he might try to slow the pace and bunch up the field—a tactic that could potentially push Norris down the order.
But that strategy never materialized.
“I had a lot of scenarios in my head,” Verstappen explained after the race. “But once I knew the tyres that Oscar [Piastri] had on the car, that would be quite difficult.”
Instead, Verstappen chose to showcase his raw speed one final time this season, pulling away from the pack in typical fashion.
“I think we were probably a bit too quick up front,” he admitted. “The others couldn’t really follow that well.”
The situation was complicated by Piastri running the Hard compound tires on a different strategy, forcing Verstappen to balance his pace to stay ahead while considering championship implications.
Charles Leclerc put on an impressive show trying to help Verstappen’s cause. The Ferrari driver pushed hard to catch Norris throughout the race, putting serious pressure on the championship contender.
“Charles drove his heart out today to try and get onto that podium,” Verstappen noted. “That was impressive to see.”
However, after switching to Hard tires during his pit stop, Leclerc struggled with grip and temperature, losing crucial time to Norris.
Even Yuki Tsunoda, Verstappen’s teammate, tried to play a role by attempting to slow Norris down and back him into Leclerc’s reach. The tactic didn’t work, and Tsunoda ended up with a 5-second penalty for weaving on the straight.
Verstappen also pointed out that the Abu Dhabi track layout has changed since his famous 2016 battle, making the backing-up strategy even more difficult to execute.
“I think, anyway, this new layout around here makes it even harder to do that compared to 2016.”
Despite losing the championship by the narrowest of margins, Verstappen’s 2025 season was still remarkable. He finished with more race wins and pole positions than any other driver on the grid.
Just two points separated him from what would have been a historic fifth straight title.
