Verstappen, Norris, Piastri: F1 set for three-way title fight in Abu Dhabi

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Max Verstappen tin triumph a 5th consecutive satellite rubric but volition request to flooded McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Published On 3 Dec 2025

Formula One volition crown its champion successful Abu Dhabi connected Sunday with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri some seeking to dethrone Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and contradict the Dutchman his 5th rubric successful a row.

Norris is favourite successful the three-way showdown, 12 points wide of Verstappen and needing “only” to decorativeness connected the podium astatine Yas Marina whoever wins connected what could beryllium a nighttime of precocious drama.

McLaren’s unthinkable season, Verstappen’s unthinkable fightback

Norris, victor of the opener successful Melbourne past March, was 34 points down Piastri astatine the extremity of August but turned his fortunes astir with a blistery streak, portion the Australian stalled.

He won successful Abu Dhabi from rod past year, aft losing a rubric conflict with Verstappen.

“It’s been an unthinkable season. We person an unthinkable car. I’m arrogant of everyone successful the team. Thank you to each of our fans. We’ve got 1 much race, and we’ll springiness it everything,” helium said.

Piastri, starring from Saudi Arabia successful April to Mexico successful October, had looked acceptable for Australia’s archetypal title since Alan Jones 45 years ago, but is present 16 points down his teammate.

He needs to triumph oregon decorativeness 2nd and anticipation for a twist successful the communicative – doubly this century, the operator who was 3rd wide going into the last circular has travel retired connected top.

Verstappen, who tin articulation Michael Schumacher arsenic the lone drivers to instrumentality 5 titles successful a row, could beryllium connected for the astir astonishing comeback of each aft being 104 points down Piastri successful precocious August.

“We enactment successful the combat until the end,” grinned the Dutchman aft winning successful Qatar past weekend, pursuing connected from triumph successful Las Vegas the Saturday earlier that.

Abu Dhabi has been a blessed hunting crushed for him successful the past, with 4 wins successful a enactment astatine the anti-clockwise circuit until past year.

Another win, with Norris not connected the podium, would suffice.

McLaren had some their cars disqualified successful Las Vegas and threw distant a triumph for Piastri and podium for Norris successful Qatar, acknowledgment to a bungled strategy.

Surely the runaway constructors’ champions, with the second-highest single-season points tally of each time, can’t fto gaffe done their fingers a archetypal rubric treble since 1998?

Prizemoney and paddock pecking order

While the rubric play plays out, others volition beryllium chasing prize wealth and points to amended their spot successful the paddock pecking order.

Mercedes and Red Bull are warring for 2nd place, though the erstwhile looks apt to prevail with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, fixed the second team’s reliance connected Verstappen.

The contention volition beryllium a last outing for Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda astatine Red Bull, his spot handed to Frenchman Isack Hadjar for adjacent season, and motor partners Honda earlier switching to Aston Martin.

Ferrari person 1 past accidental to triumph a contention successful 2025 portion seven-times satellite champion Lewis Hamilton is facing his archetypal play without adjacent lasting connected the podium.

Sauber, successful their past contention earlier becoming the mill Audi squad and with Nico Hulkenberg making his 250th start, are lone 5 points down eighth-placed Haas, who are successful crook 7 adrift of Aston Martin.

Renault-owned Alpine are competing for the past clip with Renault engines earlier a power to Mercedes power. For Argentinian operator Franco Colapinto, that means 1 past effort to people his archetypal constituent of the campaign.