- Lando Norris clinched the 2025 F1 world title with a third-place finish in Abu Dhabi.
- Max Verstappen won the race, with Oscar Piastri finishing second.
- Norris became the 35th world champion and the 11th Briton to lift the title.
Lando Norris completed his lifelong dream on Sunday night after sealing the 2025 Formula 1 world championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The 26-year-old only needed a podium to secure the title, and he did exactly that with a determined third-place finish. The result ended McLaren’s long 17-year wait for a driver’s crown, last won by Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
Max Verstappen won the race from pole for Red Bull, with Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri taking second, but the main story was Norris completing his journey to the top of the sport.
Norris started second but dropped behind Piastri at the start. From that moment, he spent the entire race defending against Charles Leclerc’s fast Ferrari. One tense moment came when he overtook Yuki Tsunoda, and they both ran wide. Stewards later cleared Norris and penalised Tsunoda for aggressive defending.
Despite the pressure, Norris kept his composure and pushed his McLaren to its limits until the final lap. When he crossed the line, he performed celebratory doughnuts as the Yas Marina crowd cheered loudly.
Tears flowed on the team radio and on the podium as Norris celebrated with his family, girlfriend and the McLaren crew. He said the victory was the result of nearly two decades of hard work, starting from childhood.
He said:
“It’s not just this year or the last seven or eight years I’ve been with McLaren, but the last 16 or 17 years of my life trying to chase this dream. I’m proud. My mum and dad let me share this dream, and today I got to share it with them.”
The win also completed McLaren’s dramatic return to the top. The team, led by Andrea Stella, improved massively this season and even outperformed Red Bull in the second half of the year. Norris won nine races in 2025 and secured the championship with one round to spare, though Abu Dhabi remained the official decider.
Verstappen congratulated him after the race, while Piastri’s finish confirmed McLaren’s first constructors’ championship since 1998. It marked a historic double for the team and a year they will never forget.
