Verstappen Wins in Abu Dhabi, but Norris Takes F1 Title

Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi GP, but it was Lando Norris who celebrated the 2025 F1 title by finishing third and beating the Dutch driver by two points. Oscar Piastri, also in contention, came in second in the race and third in the championship. Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto finished the year in 12th place, closing his first season with 19 points and five top-10 finishes. In Abu Dhabi, he started in seventh but encountered aerodynamic issues with his Sauber, losing positions throughout the race. Piastri attempted a different strategy to pass Norris on the first lap. The race began with Piastri employing a unique strategy, starting on hard tires and overtaking Norris on the outside at turn 9 on the first lap. The Englishman needed a third-place finish to secure the championship without depending on any other results but found himself at risk of being overtaken by Charles Leclerc, who was just a second behind in fourth. Obstacles seemed to mount for Norris as he pitted early on lap 17 and had to navigate traffic, even executing a double overtake on Stroll and Lawson. Meanwhile, Verstappen had a smooth race, waiting for those on medium tires to pit, which allowed Piastri to lead momentarily. The Dutch driver eventually overtook the Australian before McLaren pitted, then maintained a comfortable lead until the checkered flag. Bortoleto ended the year on a positive note with an excellent qualifying result, securing seventh on the grid, and a race where he battled closely with Fernando Alonso before encountering issues with his car. Twenty laps from the finish, his Sauber began bouncing on the straights, leading him to drop to tenth position after being overtaken by several drivers, including Ocon, Hamilton, Bearman, Stroll, and Hulkenberg. Despite the setback, Bortoleto finished in the top ten and awaited his team’s diagnosis of the sudden aerodynamic problem that impacted his race.