First half of the race – laps 1-29
All drivers started the race on medium tires, except for Oscar Piastri, Yuki Tsunoda, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who chose the hard compound. Lewis Hamilton went with the soft red tires. The Abu Dhabi GP got underway with everyone off the line cleanly, except George Russell, who dropped to sixth position. Verstappen made a strong move in turn 1, blocking Norris, while Piastri watched from behind. On lap 9, drivers who started on soft tires began pitting, including Hamilton, who rejoined in 18th position on hard tires.
By lap 13, the front of the field settled with Verstappen leading Piastri and Norris, while Charles Leclerc began to lose ground but remained close to Lando. Logan Lawson received a five-second penalty for incorrect driving. The pit-stop phase started in earnest on lap 16, with Russell, Hadjar, and Bearman among the first to stop. Leclerc fell two seconds behind Norris but managed to defend against Russell. Hamilton performed two spectacular overtakes on Stroll and Lawson, escaping a critical situation, while Leclerc executed similar moves.
Lando then caught up to Tsunoda, passing him on lap 24 with an impressive maneuver. Shortly after, Verstappen pitted, giving the lead temporarily to Piastri. Norris overtook Tsunoda off-track due to Tsunoda’s weaving on the straight, which prompted both drivers to be investigated.
Second half of the race – laps 30-58
At the start of lap 30, the stewards issued their decision: Tsunoda was penalized for excessive direction changes on the straight, while Norris was cleared. On lap 32, Hamilton pitted again for yellow tires. Once Norris learned he would not be penalized, he began pushing hard to distance Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque pitted on lap 40 for medium tires, and Norris followed on lap 41 for hard tires. Verstappen overtook Piastri on lap 42, and Piastri pitted the following lap, emerging ahead of Lando with a fresh set of yellow tires. Piastri gained some ground on Verstappen but remained far from catching him. Leclerc also closed in slightly on Norris but was too far behind. Hamilton climbed back up to eighth place.
In the final ten laps, the order stabilized. Hamilton remained behind Ocon and Alonso in eighth, while Verstappen held the lead to take the race win. Piastri finished second, and Lando Norris secured third place, enough to claim his first F1 world championship.
Final results – Abu Dhabi GP 2025
- 1st: Max Verstappen
- 2nd: Oscar Piastri
- 3rd: Lando Norris
- 4th: Charles Leclerc
- 5th: George Russell
Lando Norris makes history as the 35th F1 driver to win the drivers’ championship, while Verstappen adds another win to his impressive 2025 season tally.
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