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Everyone was expecting a mental shift from Lando Norris after the many difficulties he faced in the second half of the 2024 season. But in the current World Championship, the Briton has started just as he ended the previous season, making too many mistakes that have cost him dearly compared to Oscar Piastri. The engine failure at Zandvoort, however, changed Lando Norris. And now, arriving at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a 12-point lead over Max Verstappen, the question is whether the British driver can take the definitive step toward glory:
"My approach to the race weekend remains the same; as always, we’ve analyzed last weekend, what worked and what didn’t, the mistakes we made and what we need to improve".
Asked what he blames himself for most so far this season, Lando Norris has no doubts:
"In Canada I messed up, and it cost me a lot of points, and in China in qualifying I also made a mistake".
And of course, the most important question of all cannot be avoided: the possibility of a team order at the end of the race, should Lando Norris be fourth with Oscar Piastri ahead of the World Championship leader:
"We haven’t discussed it. And honestly, I’d be happy in that case, but I don’t think I would ask for it. It’s up to Oscar to decide whether to listen to such a request from the team or not. I’d be willing to do it because that’s just who I am. But if it were up to me, I wouldn’t ask for it and I don’t want to ask for it, because I don’t think it would be necessary. If it ends with Max winning the title, then congratulations to him".
With victory slipping away in Qatar, Oscar Piastri’s chances of the world title are very slim. McLaren’s shocking pit-stop blunder helped Max Verstappen and heavily penalized the Australian, who is now 16 points behind Lando Norris and 4 behind the Dutchman. Piastri is now the outsider in the fight, but he is not giving up and will do everything he can to win a World Championship in which he led for a long time, before the mental and performance crisis that hit him between the Singapore and Las Vegas Grands Prix:
"I prepared for this weekend by playing some padel. Overall, I treated it like a normal weekend. There weren’t many days between one race weekend and the next, but I had some fun. I took a day off and that’s enough for me. Key moments in the championship? Unfortunately for me, there were several negative moments to choose from. But no season is ever perfect, so there’s no point in highlighting the points lost here and there, because everyone can say the same. I’ve lost a lot of points along the way, but everyone has at some stage. There are definitely some moments and certain races I would like to relive, but I think the same goes for the team. Picking one in particular doesn’t make sense. I don’t think any one moment hurt more than the others. Team orders to help Lando win the title if the situation arises? For me, it’s the same as what Lando said - we haven’t discussed it yet. Until I know what is expected of me, I can’t give an answer. I can’t say anything until I know exactly what the team expects. What do I like about Lando? I really like his car collection; I’m trying to catch up with him in that regard. Jokes aside, the nice thing is that we’re able to leave what happens on track at the circuit and stay friends off track. It would be very easy not to do that, and I think it takes real cooperation from both sides to make it work. That’s what I admire about Lando".
Regardless of how it ends, with the victory in Qatar - helped by McLaren’s incredible mistake and by a much fresher engine than his rivals - Verstappen has closed to 12 points behind Lando Norris. In Abu Dhabi, Verstappen will race aggressively, with nothing to lose (he is practically obliged to win). The Dutchman plays the outsider card, the driver who arrived at the showdown almost by chance, again pointing out McLaren’s mistakes:
"In the last few days I’ve spent some time with my daughter, and I’ve tried to work out some things for next year’s GT3 and for my sim team. My championship? Over 24 races, some will be better than others - it’s normal. In quite a few races we didn’t have the pace to fight for the win, but here we are. Overall I’m very proud of the season we’ve had and how we reacted, especially in the second half".
After stressing - right in front of Norris and Piastri - that his ideal teammate must hide nothing over a race weekend, and responding to a question about his parents, Verstappen still finds a way to send a message to his rivals:
"My dad is racing a rally in Africa, my mum is at home with the dogs and she’s happier that way. I hadn’t planned to be fighting for the title in the final race; after Zandvoort I thought everything was over. But that’s not who we are. They know that when I get in the car I’ll give everything I have. They give me their full support, my mum always lights a candle before every race. But I think they simply trust their son".
Lewis Hamilton has one last chance to avoid finishing the season without a podium: his first year as a Ferrari driver has been anything but satisfying. Given the poor competitiveness of the SF-25, the Englishman supported team principal Frédéric Vasseur’s decision to halt development early:
"We had expected to struggle at the end of the season, but it’s gone worse than expected. I was one of those pushing Vasseur to stop development early because we couldn’t afford to fall behind on the 2026 car since we weren’t in a position to fight for the championship".
The Ferrari driver won’t make any predictions on who will win the world title:
"Being the hunter is always easier than being the prey because you have a target and nothing to lose".
Hamilton’s hope for 2026 is to finally have a different kind of car after suffering greatly with this generation since 2022:
"This generation of cars has been the worst I’ve ever driven, I’m praying things improve in 2026".
Ferrari’s season has been far from ideal: Charles Leclerc has built up much frustration, knowing he has almost always extracted the maximum from a mediocre car. The seven podiums he has taken so far are a great achievement considering the machinery, but they are clearly not enough for the Monegasque, who assesses his season:
"On a personal level I’m satisfied; it’s been a positive season from my point of view. I’m happy with my work, but unfortunately the performance isn’t at the level it should be. I’m not satisfied with the results and the pace we’ve shown, especially after finishing last year so well and building very different expectations for 2025. I think in terms of on-track performance, even from the team, we’ve done well. In the end it was the car’s performance that was lacking, so I hope next year will be better".
For the final Grand Prix of the season, Leclerc expects at least an improvement compared to Qatar:
"We have an idea of what we could have tried, but finding a solution is another story. We don’t have a 100% solution to the problems; we have some ideas about things we didn’t try during the weekend. Clearly we got something wrong. Our difficulties were made worse by the track, which has never suited our characteristics. But we didn’t perform at the level we could have reached. So for this weekend I expect us to return to where we belong - probably as the third-strongest team".
The Monegasque gives his prediction for the title fight, but insists he will only focus on his own race:
"I don’t know how competitive we’ll be this weekend. From our side, we expect a very strong McLaren, then probably Red Bull, Mercedes, and us. At some point there will be an interaction between us, McLaren and Red Bull, I’m sure, but I’m not here to think about that. I’m here to give my best and run my race; it’s up to them to do the better job and try to win the championship. Whoever becomes champion won’t be part of my thought process during the race. The title? I don’t know. I’ve changed my mind so many times this year. I thought Oscar would win, then I thought Max would be champion. Now I think Lando will win. Twelve points is a significant gap; unless something strange happens, I think he’ll take the title".
George Russell’s 2025 season has been exceptional, considering he is the only driver apart from the McLaren drivers and Max Verstappen to have won a Grand Prix. After signing his contract renewal, however, the Briton suffered a slight drop in form, finishing three of the last four races behind his teammate. But in this final race, Russell wants to reverse the trend, even though the Italian driver is in strong form, and restore the hierarchy
"We’re here to secure second place in the Constructors'. It was a shame not to have done it already in Qatar, but we have a great chance this weekend and we’ll try to get it done and enjoy the last race of the season. Were we slowed by traffic in Lusail? Yes, we have to thank Isack who forced us to stay stuck in traffic a bit, but unfortunately we weren’t very competitive. I think Oscar was clearly the most competitive of all, and nine times out of ten when you’re that fast the result comes. This was the tenth time. Me finishing fourth in the standings like in 2022? I think both seasons have been very positive, but this year I think was my most competitive. 2022 was very challenging because we experienced porpoising for the first time and it was a challenge for the whole team. That was my first year against Lewis, but I think this has been a very positive year for me. Who wins the World Championship? Lando".
On Friday, December 5, 2025, there are a host of new names on the timesheets for the opening practice hour at the Yas Marina Circuit as no less than nine rookies join the action, with Mercedes and Kick Sauber the only outfits to stick with their usual line-up. Amongst those sitting out FP1 as a result is championship contender Oscar Piastri, whose seat is filled by McLaren reserve driver Pato O’Ward. Over at Red Bull, meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda hands his car over to Arvid Lindblad, the F2 racer who is set to join Racing Bulls on the grid in 2026. Isack Hadjar - the man Lindblad will replace, with the Frenchman making the step up to Red Bull next season - leads the pack out when first practice gets underway at 1:30 p.m.. It quickly proves to be a busy start, as all 20 cars hit the track within the opening minutes. That traffic soon appears to cause some frustration for Hadjar, the Racing Bulls driver waving his hand after approaching the Williams of Luke Browning ahead. As for Browning - who is making his fourth FP1 appearance - the British driver reports issues with his radio. The other FW47 of Carlos Sainz goes quickest a quarter of the way into the session, the Spaniard setting a lap of 1'25"712 off the back of his second podium for the Grove-based outfit last time out in Qatar. Championship leader Norris, meanwhile, is just 0.052s behind. That P1 does not last long for Sainz, with the times rapidly tumbling and the name at the top of the timesheets changing as FP1 progresses. Elsewhere there is a problem for Ollie Bearman, the Haas man reporting a loss of power before being informed by his race engineer of a leak in the car. The Briton manages to limp back to the pits - just as Browning is able to return to action, having spent time in the garage while the team addresses his radio issues. As the hour reaches its halfway point, Hadjar looks to have set the fastest time before it is bettered by his future team mate Verstappen, the Dutchman pumping in a 1'24"493 after bolting on the soft tyres.
George Russell also swaps to the C5 rubber and slots into P2 behind Verstappen, the Mercedes driver’s effort putting him 0.240s behind the Red Bull. Kimi Antonelli then follows by going third quickest on a weekend where the Silver Arrows are hoping to seal second place in the Teams’ Championship. There is a bit of a moment for Norris through Turn 2, the Briton experiencing a snap during his first flying run on the soft tyres - though the lap still proves to be enough to put him into second place behind Verstappen. Elsewhere there is a close call for Aston Martin between their two rookie drivers, with Jak Crawford approaching Cian Shields whilst the former is on a hot lap. Over at Haas, Bearman’s earlier issue initially looks to be fixed as he returns to action - but the youngster then reports that the problem seems to be getting worse, resulting in the decision to retire the car for the remainder of the session amid what the team later says is a sensor-related issue. Ahead of the final 15 minutes, Norris sits at the top of the timesheets on a 1'24"485 - a mere 0.008s clear of Verstappen - before the last laps start to go on the board. Charles Leclerc slots into third, while his younger brother Arthur - in the other Ferrari - is in 18th place. Verstappen reports that there might be something broken on his RB21, an issue that he suggests is everywhere on the car, though the World Champion is still running on track. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, suffers a spin at Turn 5, prompting his sibling to joke that the elder Leclerc is doing some burnouts for the watching fans. As the clock ticks down, Norris holds onto the P1 slot thanks to his earlier effort, with Verstappen and Charles Leclerc remaining in second and third respectively. Antonelli and Russell are fourth and sixth, while Kick Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg separates the Mercedes pair in fifth. Hulkenberg’s team mate Gabriel Bortoleto follows in P7, with Bearman, Sainz and the Alpine of Franco Colapinto rounding out the top 10.
After nine rookie drivers appear in FP1, a stream of regular racers return to the cockpit for the much more representative twilight FP2, including Piastri, who is the only championship contender to sit on the sidelines at the start of the day. Despite mechanics making a host of adjustments to his McLaren just a few minutes before the session’s green light at 1700 local time, the Australian hits the track early on and gets his practice programme under way without any dramas. There is some early drama elsewhere, though, with Verstappen having to hurriedly get out of Norris’ way exiting Turn 1 via some confusion over the radio with his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase - the Red Bull driver ending a lap and the McLaren man starting one.
"What’s this guy doing? I almost crash".
Norris complains afterwards. However, while the stewards note the incident and take a closer look at it, they ultimately decide against any further action, meaning no risk of a penalty being applied. As the session reaches its one-quarter mark, it is Racing Bulls rookie - and 2026 Red Bull racer - Isack Hadjar who leads the way thanks to a 1'24"167 on softs, marginally quicker than Haas’ Ollie Bearman (also softs) and Norris, Verstappen and Piastri (mediums). Not long after, Verstappen makes the switch to the soft rubber and lowers the benchmark to a 1'23"446, only for Norris to produce a 1'23"083 and move comfortably clear when he bolts on the red-marked compound. Attention then turns to what Piastri can do on his first Qualifying-style simulation, but a low-key lap leaves him down in 10th, behind both Mercedes cars, both Kick Saubers, Bearman’s Haas, Hadjar’s Racing Bulls and Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. Meanwhile, there are problems for Williams to contend with in the form of a dramatic snap for Carlos Sainz through the high-speed Turn 2/3 sweeps, which the Spaniard does well to save and move on from, and apparent engine woes for Alex Albon. Once those Qualifying laps are out of the way, drivers move their focus to longer runs to gather some valuable data for Sunday evening’s race, meaning Norris’ aforementioned 1m 23s effort remains the P1 time over Verstappen (who reports more bouncing late on) and Russell at the chequered flag. Bearman ends up a high-flying fourth for Haas, edging out the similarly impressive Saubers of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.
"Mate, the car is insane! I don’t know how it’s so good".
The British rookie comments over the radio mid-session. Hadjar is another youngster to enjoy a strong start to the weekend in seventh, ahead of Leclerc, Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso and the other Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, leaving Piastri just outside the top-10 positions. In the evocative setting of Yas Marina, under a beautiful sunset as daylight fades, Lando Norris continues to shine. After edging everyone by just 0.008s in FP1 with a 1'23"083, in FP2 he pulled almost 0.4s clear of both Max Verstappen and George Russell. Making the picture even more striking is the race pace Norris showed in the final minutes of FP2. In that phase, the gap to Verstappen was evident: the Briton was lapping up to a full second faster than the Dutch driver:
"Looking at the times, everything is fine for now, but I want a bit more from the car. I’m not totally happy. We’re trying various things to understand some of the car’s behaviors, so I hope there’s still room to extract more overnight. It definitely wasn’t a negative day - on the contrary, it was positive . but we know we’ll have to improve a lot in qualifying. Today’s lap times won’t give me any advantage for tomorrow".
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend did not start well for Oscar Piastri. The third contender in this title fight had to give up his car to Pato O’Ward in FP1, and in FP2 he did not shine, particularly in qualifying simulation, ending up all the way down in P11, over 0.6s off Norris’s time. At the end of practice, however, Piastri remained confident in both the car and the team, convinced he can extract strong performance from his MCL39 in both qualifying and the race:
"I felt pretty good on the mediums, but on the softs I wasn’t able to extract all the grip on my first lap. I’m trying to get into the rhythm, but we tried to improve things for tomorrow, and considering I only had one session, it wasn’t too bad. What needs fixing on the car? I think it’s mostly small details. The car is generally in a decent place. I just didn’t maximize my first lap on the Softs, as I said. Where am I in the pole fight? I think in a pretty good spot - the car seems quick. I just need to put the lap together, which I didn’t do today. I need to feel more comfortable: perhaps with more laps tomorrow and more tyres tested, I’ll be in a better place".
Max Verstappen ended the first day of practice behind the World Championship leader in both sessions; but while in FP1 the gap between the two was just 0.008s, as mentioned, it grew significantly in FP2, with the Brit almost 0.4s ahead. Results which, regardless of the final position, do not fully satisfy the Red Bull Racing driver, who hopes to make real progress ahead of qualifying:
"The last Friday of the season went pretty well, I was fairly happy with the car, but we need to go faster. We’re not quick enough yet, but overall we’re in a decent window. There’s a gap we need to close, but we’ll try to prepare the car as best as possible. We’ll see what we can find overnight. On both the single-lap run and the race simulation we’re quite a bit behind. We have to improve".
If anyone inside Red Bull Racing was hoping to rely on help from Yuki Tsunoda, they’ll need to reconsider: just as has happened all year - perhaps with the only exception being the Qatar Sprint Race - the second driver won’t be able to offer much support. Tsunoda could do no better than P17, over 1.2s behind Norris. Even more worrying than the times, though, are the sensations the Japanese driver expressed:
"Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be this difficult. We’re still very far off and I don’t exactly know what’s going on. We really need to examine the situation overnight, because today felt like one of the worst practice sessions of the season. The car isn’t very stable right now. I keep sliding around and we need to understand why and what’s causing it. At the moment it’s not good, I hope we can improve overnight so I can give my best tomorrow".
George Russell could be one of the deciding factors in the three-way title fight unfolding in Abu Dhabi: Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, in fact, will need not only to win the race but also to place as many cars as possible between themselves, and Lando Norris and the Mercedes drivers are the prime candidates to influence this. At the end of FP2 - the most representative session since it’s held at the same time as the race - Russell set the third fastest time, behind Norris and Verstappen. According to the Englishman, however, qualifying may deliver some interesting surprises given the strong showings from Haas - especially Oliver Bearman - and Sauber:
"I felt better this evening compared to FP1, also because the track was cooler. In qualifying it’ll probably be close between us, Red Bull, and Ferrari, and maybe even some ‘unexpected’ teams: Bearman and Hülkenberg were right there with us, so we might see some surprises. Our race pace wasn’t great, to be honest: we’ll have to review it tonight to try to improve. My lap was good, I didn’t leave a big margin, and we’re only third. So we need to find more pace".
If Red Bull Racing wants to win the World Championship, they must not only beat McLaren at Yas Marina but also hope for some cars to get between Max Verstappen and Norris’s MCL39. Ahead of the weekend, the Milton Keynes team was counting on old rivals Mercedes and on Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who has been competitive in recent races. However, the Italian did not start his Abu Dhabi weekend well. After finishing fourth in FP1 - a session not very representative since it featured no fewer than nine rookies - Antonelli placed P10 in FP2, almost 0.7s off the top and 0.3s behind his teammate. He made an error in the final corner, and even in terms of race simulations there is room for improvement, as the W16 suffered from heavy bouncing at high speed in the morning, while in the second session the main issue was graining:
"I don’t think FP2 showed the real pace. I think the last lap on the softs was pretty good, but then I made a mistake in the final corner and lost a lot of time. We’re in the mix, though. Sure, McLaren seem to be a step ahead of everyone, but I think the gaps are very small and every little mistake can really punish you. I think the long run was much better in FP2 than in FP1. We’re on the right path, but we need to keep working to improve. I definitely feel much more relaxed and more comfortable with the car. It’s certainly a different story now".
After the Qatar race, Charles Leclerc said he didn’t want to get his hopes up and had very little expectation of finishing the year on the podium. The Monegasque’s fears appear to have materialized: at Yas Marina, Leclerc finished the first day of practice in P8, more than 0.5s behind Norris. If nothing else, he did get the satisfaction of sharing the garage with his brother Arthur:
"Unfortunately that was the only positive thing today, because the rest was a struggle. I don’t have much hope, at least not yet. We’re trying everything, but unfortunately something’s been missing for the last two or three races, and I can’t quite understand what. We’re doing everything to figure it out and I hope we find a solution before tomorrow’s qualifying".
In short, the season is nearly over, and Ferrari still lacks a clear idea of how to fix the issues of the SF-25:
"I’m pretty happy it’s the last Friday of the year, especially considering how we’re performing right now. But I’d like to finish on a high, and it doesn’t look like we will if things continue like this. I’ll still do my best".
Lewis Hamilton has said on several occasions that he can’t wait to finish the current season, hoping that the next generation of cars will better suit his driving style. But the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix still has to be raced, and it hasn’t started in the best way for the British driver. He gave up his seat to Arthur Leclerc in FP1, and in FP2 he didn’t do better than P14, 0.85s off Norris:
"I think Arthur did a good job this morning, it’s always nice to see young drivers emerge. Anyone who misses the first session is always a bit behind. I did my best to catch up and dealt with a difficult balance during the session, so we’ve got some work to do. I still have hope, this car has potential, but I’ve asked the guys for some help to solve a few issues: What can we do to improve the drivability and the bouncing? And the understeer? If we can fix those issues before FP3 I think we could be in a slightly better position. In sectors one and two I was right there, and the pace wasn’t too bad, but in sector three I’m losing about 0.7s. So if we can solve that for tomorrow, we can do better".
On Saturday, December 6, 2025, it is a quiet start as many drivers take their time in the garage before heading out on track - the Aston Martin pair of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are the first to make a short appearance, repeating their usual practice routine of scrubbing the tyres. After a lacklustre opening day for Alpine, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto elect to put in some laps early doors with the aim of troubleshooting some of their issues, which see them end Friday at the back of the field in Renault’s final round as an engine supplier. Norris’ initial effort sees him shoot to the top of the times with a 1'24"728, but it is far off his best lap in the previous practice sessions, with times expected to tumble as the track evolves across the hour. His team mate Oscar Piastri, who misses out on FP1 for Pato O’Ward, finds himself 0.4s adrift before Norris improves his time, fighting oversteer in the final sector. Norris then has a near-miss with Yuki Tsunoda, who fails to pull aside and let the McLaren past, forcing him into evasive action - the outgoing Red Bull driver raises his hand in apology and is later noted for impeding. As the circuit gradually gets busier, Ollie Bearman quickly proves that his pace in FP2 isn’t a fluke as his first lap is just 0.008s slower than Norris’ effort, before Verstappen storms to P1 just before the halfway point. The Haas isn’t the only surprise at the front, with Stroll demoting him to second following a rapid lap on the red-walled soft tyres. The laps are coming in thick and fast with everyone making the most of the final opportunity to prepare for Qualifying, but Lewis Hamilton finds the limit at Turn 9 as he suffers a high speed spin and goes careering into the barrier. He is fortunately uninjured, reporting:
"Something buckles at the front and snaps the rear".
The remaining drivers lose valuable time as they return to the pits while his damaged Ferrari is recovered, leaving them keen to make the most of the final quarter of the session once the pit exit reopens. Piastri is the first to do so, jumping from P18 to P1 to go half a second clear of Verstappen on a fresh set of tyres. He doesn't stay on top for long as Norris, also on new tyres, sets a 1'23"338 to reclaim first position - his final sector alone is three tenths faster than his team mate. The drama isn’t just confined to the track as Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli is released straight into Tsunoda’s path in the pitlane, crashing into the side of the Red Bull and damaging his own front wing in the process. His team mate Russell then charges to P1 in the last few minutes of FP3, with Alonso taking a high-flying fourth place behind Norris and Verstappen, with the lead Red Bull just over a tenth away from Russell's pace-setting lap. Piastri ends down in fifth ahead of the impressive Haas duo of Esteban Ocon and Bearman. Charles Leclerc, Antonelli and Alex Albon round out the top 10 in an eventful session where just 0.388s cover the front half of the field.
After an eventful practice session earlier in the day - topped by the Mercedes of Russell - the attentions of the paddock switch to the final Qualifying of the year, a crucial session in that it will set the starting order for the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. As Q1 gets underway under the floodlights at 6:00 p.m. local time, Hamilton is amongst the first on track with the medium tyres bolted on, the Ferrari driver seemingly doing a shake down of his car following his crash out of Free Practice 3 a few hours prior. With others joining the action a few minutes in - the majority running the soft compound, the exception being Hamilton’s team mate Leclerc on the Mediums - it is Russell who goes fastest following the opening runs via an effort of 1'23"247. The margins are incredibly fine, however, with Bearman only 0.007s behind in second while Piastri is a further one thousandth of a second adrift of the Haas. Verstappen places in fourth, ahead of Hamilton, Alonso and championship leader Norris. At the other end of the timesheets, Ocon, Albon, Leclerc, Gasly and Colapinto - the latter yet to get a lap on the board after having both of his times deleted for exceeding track limits - are the names at risk in the elimination zone. Gasly and Stroll also fall victim to track limits, with each also seeing one of their laps erased. Following a brief lull, the pack prepares to return to the track for their last runs as the session enters its final minutes. Title contenders Norris, Verstappen and Piastri are all sporting fresh soft tyres - and this seems to pay off for the latter, who goes quickest on a 1'22"605. This puts the Australian two-tenths clear of Verstappen, while Norris is just over half a second away in sixth place, with Antonelli, Alonso and Leclerc ahead of him. Meanwhile others are trying to guarantee their spot in Q2, with Gasly improving before being pushed back down the order by Stroll. Also finding themselves in the danger zone are Albon, Hulkenberg and Colapinto - and while Hamilton initially looks to have avoided the bottom five, improvements from others see the Briton end up in 16th place, resulting in another Q1 exit. As the dust settles on Q1, 15 minutes go on the clock to kickstart Q2 at the Yas Marina Circuit. Verstappen is the first to head out, the Dutchman enjoying a quiet track as he sets a banker lap on used soft tyres.
Others soon start to join the fray - and when everybody has set a time, Russell is again the man on top thanks to his lap of 1'22"730, giving him an advantage of 0.022s over second-placed Verstappen, while Norris is only 0.074s behind Russell in third. Piastri and Alonso follow in fourth and fifth respectively, but those less at ease in the danger zone are Hadjar, Tsunoda, Antonelli, Bearman and Lawson. A queue forms in the pit lane as the field readies themselves for their final runs - yet Verstappen is not amongst them, Red Bull seemingly feeling safe enough to stay in the garage. While Bortoleto surges up to an eye-catching fourth, fellow rookie Antonelli cannot do enough to avoid elimination, the Mercedes driver being pushed down to P14. Hadjar climbs up into the top 10, which then knocks out team mate Lawson. There are also contrasting fortunes at Haas, with Ocon moving into ninth just as Bearman misses the cut in 11th. Tsunoda makes it through in 10th, but it is not such a good day for Sainz and Stroll, both exiting in 12th and 15th respectively. Tsunoda is the first to emerge as the top-10 shootout begins, but it is the other Red Bull of Verstappen that tops the timesheets once the first runs have been completed, the World Champion going quickest on an impressive 1'22"295. In his final weekend racing for the squad, Tsunoda plays a team role by giving Verstappen a tow, with the Dutchman subsequently beating closest challenger Piastri by 0.327s. Norris is four-and-a-half tenths back in third, followed by Leclerc and Russell. Ahead of the decisive closing runs, Russell asks his team if they can get him behind Verstappen to get a tow of his own. McLaren, meanwhile, look for a way to beat the four-time World Champion. As the all-important last Qualifying laps of 2025 come in, Verstappen goes even quicker on a 1'22"207. Piastri closes the gap down, but at 0.230s adrift it is not enough to beat the Dutch driver - and while Norris cannot clinch pole either, the Briton outpaces his team mate to slot into second, 0.201 adrift of Verstappen. This puts Piastri in third, with Russell the nearest to the title contenders in fourth. Leclerc ends a tough recent run for Ferrari with P5, while a slightly mixed-up top 10 is rounded out by Alonso, Bortoleto, Ocon, Hadjar and Tsunoda.
It’s not certain that it will be enough to conquer the World Championship, but the pole position at the end of Q3 - which also puts him in the best possible position to try to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - gives Max Verstappen at least another night of hope. The rest is all about waiting for the final lights-out of the season, while also knowing he must come up with something tactically to try to put Lando Norris under pressure: in fact, a straightforward race would not be enough to win the world title, since the math condemns the Dutchman even in the case of a victory, should his McLaren friend-rival finish second or third. And it’s also not guaranteed that the race will necessarily unfold in a way that produces some sort of tacit agreement between Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, who according to George Russell might deliberately set a rather slow pace for the pack to keep the other cars close - and therefore expose Lando Norris to possible attacks from any fourth party. What’s certain is that Max knows perfectly well he must rely on cunning to win:
"I’m certainly not going to make his life easy".
For now, however, there is reason to celebrate the pole position that makes him the driver who has started from the front the most times this season. A result achieved with a certain level of risk, linked to the choice of using only used Soft tyres to get through from Q2 to Q3:
"That’s why you always try to make things work. And that’s why in the second session I took the risk of using only the used sets. Luckily it worked, because of course it’s always better to have two sets of new tyres in Q3. How satisfying is this pole? Well, it’s as satisfying as knowing that when you have to perform under pressure, you’re able to do it. I’m very happy about that, first of all. The car felt good in qualifying, we found a few small improvements. And tomorrow should be an exciting race, I hope. I also hope I can maintain this pace during the race. We’ll see what we can do".
Second position on the starting grid allows Lando Norris to set up the race he wanted: not too risky, but run at the front. In his second Q3 time attack, the Briton beat Oscar Piastri and earned himself a front-row start behind Max Verstappen. Surviving turn 1 will be crucial, but Norris doesn’t want to approach the Grand Prix with the mentality of a bookkeeper. Therefore, if Verstappen slows the pack to bunch everyone up, he will attack:
"It was tough and Max did a great job, well done to him. We did everything we could; I think my lap was pretty good, I’m happy with it. The disappointment is not being on pole in the final weekend of the season, so we’ll try to make up for it tomorrow. Settle for a podium? The moment to think about that will come; I still want to try to win. I’m not yet thinking about how to approach tomorrow’s start, surely everyone will have their own intentions. The only thing I can do is focus on my job, have the best weekend possible, and then we’ll see what happens".
Oscar Piastri seems attached to third place at the moment: third in the standings heading into this decisive Grand Prix, third in qualifying behind his two direct rivals Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. The Q3 result might suggest that the fight for the world title is almost decided, and that the three-way battle has already become a duel between Norris and Verstappen. But Piastri of course has different ideas, reminding everyone that for him, a simple race win is not enough - he needs the race to be as chaotic as possible:
"Plans for the race? I don’t know yet, I have to see what the situation in front of me will be - I’ll try to take the opportunities that come. I need more than just a race win. If nothing happens, I still won’t win the World Championship. We’ll see what happens".
It’s therefore inevitable to ask about a potential team order to favour Norris if the race situation requires it. But Piastri doesn’t seem particularly inclined to make life easy for his teammate:
"I’m sure we’ll discuss it as a team. We haven’t had any direct talk about what decisions might be needed. But in the end, I still have a chance. I know there could be a situation where, if I let Lando through, he could win the championship. If that happens, I might be asked to do it, but tomorrow’s race will be very long".
Ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Mercedes were expected to be close to the title contenders. However, the Brackley team did not show qualifying speed (FP3 aside) nor particularly strong race pace. A trend confirmed in the final practice session, which saw Kimi Antonelli eliminated in Q2 and George Russell qualifying fourth. A good position considering the car they have, but in a normal race the Briton does not have the pace to fight with the top three. But will it be a normal race? Russell thinks not, because Verstappen will do everything to stay ahead on lap 1, keep the pack close, and increase the pressure on Norris:
"To be honest, realistically, I knew we wouldn’t be fighting the top three. I was first in Q2, but the top three were on used tyres. That’s why I pushed a bit too much in Q3. It wasn’t a clean session, but we couldn’t do much more. We don’t have the pace, but I’m confident there will be opportunities. If we finish the first lap in the same order as the start, Max won’t run away and won’t give Lando an easy podium. But everything can change after lap 1: if Lando gets a good start and takes the lead, the championship is over. I think controlling the pace, like on a street circuit, is very normal. In Singapore it’s like that: you control the pace and then try to pull away in the pit-stop window. Max doesn’t need to drive like a hooligan or dangerously; he’ll just need to run three or four tenths slower than his real pace - that will compress the field".
Knowing that Red Bull Racing would have liked a Mercedes between the McLarens, Russell even suggested following Verstappen in Q3 to benefit from his slipstream, sending a radio message clearly meant for the Red Bull pit wall:
"Yes, it was more like a suggestion to their pit wall for them to consider the idea. Since Max went out early in Q3, he was in a position to do it. And they needed someone in between".
Qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was not positive at all for Andrea Kimi Antonelli, in his final weekend in Formula 1 as a rookie. The Italian driver failed to reach Q3, finishing 14th in a very tight session. Antonelli was three tenths behind his teammate - who set the fastest time in Q2 - and only 0.046s behind Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull, which secured the final spot in Q3:
"Obviously it’s very frustrating; I struggled a lot with the rear in Q2 and it was really difficult. Also, between Q1 and Q2 I went much faster, and I’m really struggling to understand what happened".
A drastic change in such a short time leaves the Italian with many doubts ahead of the final race:
"It definitely won’t be an easy race tomorrow. The title is important and I just need to maximise the result and try to do the best race possible".
Ferrari’s hopes of ending the season with at least one victory seem to rely on unpredictable circumstances after Abu Dhabi qualifying. As usual, Leclerc managed to bring his SF-25 into the top positions, while Hamilton - for the third consecutive time - failed to get out of Q1. Said Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur:
"Overall, we’re satisfied with Charles’s result, because we had major difficulties in both Friday sessions and when we had to decide today’s setup we opted for a rather aggressive choice that paid off. Surely, if practice had gone better, maybe we could have fought for an even better position, but that’s how it went. Now let’s see what happens tomorrow, we’ll find out what our race pace is like. It was tough for Lewis because he didn’t run in FP1, having given his seat to Arthur, and then he had the crash halfway through FP3, and in a situation like this - where two tenths separate P4 from P18 - losing that much track time makes it too hard to recover. You can’t build a performance only off FP2. Now let’s focus on doing the best we can for our team to get the best possible result and end the season well".
There seems to be no way out of Lewis Hamilton’s slump in results. The Briton was eliminated in Q1 for the third consecutive time - a negative record for a Ferrari driver under this format. The nightmare period Hamilton is going through is evident both from his body language and his - or rather, non-existent - post-session comments. The Englishman answered journalists’ questions with monosyllables, avoided explaining the mistake in the final sector that cost him Q2, and limited himself to a few brief, formulaic remarks:
"I can’t describe what’s going on in my head right now. I definitely have a lot of anger inside and there’s not much more I can add. Most of the lap was good, I just wasn’t able to finish it well. The team did an outstanding job and definitely deserves better. I have no words to express how sorry I am for the team and for the fans".
What does he expect from 2026? Hamilton answers despondently:
"Right now I’m not looking that far ahead…".
The outlook for the Abu Dhabi race isn’t very encouraging either:
"There’s not much I can do from there. Every week it’s the same thing, but I’ll give it a try".
Could the winter break help him reset a season to forget?
"Only time will tell, it’s the shortest break ever".
On Sunday, December 7, 2025, after 23 action-packed rounds and a host of twists and turns, it all comes down to this: three drivers are in contention for the 2025 Drivers’ Championship, with 58 more laps deciding whether it goes to Norris, Verstappen or Piastri. While Norris heads into the weekend with the points advantage, sitting 12 clear of Verstappen and a further four ahead of Piastri, it is the Red Bull man who seizes the initiative in Qualifying to claim pole position over the McLaren pair. It sets up a tantalising prospect for race day, with the nerves, excitement and anticipation building throughout the afternoon before the sun sets over the Yas Marina Circuit, the floodlights switch on, and the all-important start approaches. When the cars line up on the grid, with a one-stop strategy expected, it is revealed that the majority of drivers start on the medium tyres, with Piastri, Tsunoda, Antonelli and Stroll going for hards, and Hamilton, Albon and Hulkenberg taking softs. A few anxious moments later, it is lights out - Verstappen makes a strong enough getaway to keep his pole advantage from Norris and Piastri, with Leclerc and Alonso squabbling in fourth and fifth, and Russell dropping to sixth. Halfway around the lap, Piastri pulls off one of the moves of the season - and no doubt raises heart rates on the McLaren pit wall - with an audacious move on team mate Norris around the outside of Turn 9, despite him running that harder rubber. Norris still holds the position and points he needs to secure the crown, but with Leclerc and Alonso hovering in his mirrors. On Lap 4, Leclerc piles the pressure on with his own DRS-assisted look into Turn 9, but he cannot quite make it stick. Russell reports a long brake pedal after his tricky start, which includes a heap of wheelspin, but that does not stop him from reclaiming fifth by passing Alonso into the Turn 6/7 chicane. Behind them, Bortoleto holds seventh over Hadjar and Ocon, with Tsunoda rounding out the top 10. Elsewhere, Colapinto is noted for a start procedure infringement, as well as Hamilton and Albon and Antonelli and Stroll for midfield battles - the latter two regarding drivers leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
"This is good for now Max. We may wish to go longer, so just keep on top".
Is the message to race leader Verstappen at this point. Shortly afterwards, Hulkenberg becomes the first driver to pit, swapping his softs for a set of hards. With the race reaching double lap figures, Piastri receives a hurry-up from his engineer to go and chase Verstappen, and in turn give Norris a little more clean air to work with. Norris is informed of that message and continues to hover precariously around the one-second DRS window back to Leclerc. Another incident involving Gasly and Hulkenberg is noted and dismissed at this point, while Lawson and Bearman come under the stewards’ microscope for alleged erratic driving - the New Zealander subsequently receives a five-second penalty. Russell, Hadjar and Bearman are the next drivers to pit, swapping their medium tyres for hards. Ferrari and McLaren ponder whether to respond by pitting Leclerc and Norris. McLaren’s mechanics initially come out into the pit lane, but then return to the garage.
"Keep building this gap on Leclerc, it gives us choices".
is the next message to Norris. Then, at the end of Lap 16, the Briton heads for the pits along with Leclerc and Alonso. Crucially, Norris rejoins ahead of Russell, but with a lot of midfield runners to clear. Verstappen and Piastri (understandably given his more durable tyres) stay out for the time being, with just under two seconds between them.
"Oscar, do you think we could do Plan A?"
Piastri’s engineer enquires.
"I think it’s doable for now".
Comes the reply. While the top two press ahead, Norris has his hands full behind yet-to-pit cars, forcing decisive moves on Antonelli, Stroll and Lawson to regain clear air. A little bit further back, Leclerc is noted for moving under braking in a battle with Russell, before both look to replicate Norris’ charge through the traffic. Outgoing Red Bull man Tsunoda is told:
"We expect Norris to be in your DRS within one lap. All you can when he catches,” to which the Japanese racer responds, “I know what to do, so leave to me".
On Lap 23, Norris gets within that DRS window - Tsunoda almost forces the championship contender onto the grass as they charge towards the Turn 6/7 chicane, but Norris keeps his cool under braking to make the move stick and edge one step closer to the crown. However, a couple of messages soon follow from the stewards and add more jeopardy to the situation: one for Tsunoda allegedly forcing Norris off the track, and one for Norris allegedly leaving the track and gaining an advantage. A lap later, leader Verstappen decides it is the right time to pit and swaps his medium tyres for hards, releasing Piastri into the lead. Norris, meanwhile, puts his head down to pump in a series of fastest laps and create a two-second buffer over Leclerc. The wait for the stewards' decisions is a short one, with Tsunoda being given a five-second penalty due to his weaving, and no further action being taken on Norris’ overtake, serving as a huge boost for the latter’s title aspirations.
"Penalty?! What penalty, bro?"
Tsunoda shouts over the radio when informed of his penalty. At the same time, the stewards confirm that there is no further action over Leclerc and Russell’s earlier scrap at Turn 9. After 33 laps, the yet-to-stop Piastri leads Verstappen by some 11 seconds, with Norris five seconds further back in third, from Leclerc, Russell, Stroll (also yet to pit), Alonso, Bortoleto, Ocon and Hulkenberg, who has Bearman all over his tail in the fight for the final point. Williams are having a quiet race, with Sainz and Albon running 12th and 13th, ahead of early-stopper Hadjar, the Alpines of Gasly and Colapinto, Hamilton (who has moved to a two-stop strategy), the penalised Tsunoda, Lawson and Antonelli.
"The rear’s starting to get a bit worse now".
Reports leader Piastri over the radio as the laps tick by - the gap back to Verstappen comes down to six seconds, with Norris and Leclerc also closing in rapidly. On Lap 40, with Piastri still circulating up front, Leclerc heads to the pit lane for a second time to take on fresh medium tyres, prompting Norris to cover that off next time around (fitting hards). At the back, Albon receives a five-second penalty for speeding on his own visit to the pits. Not long after that, Verstappen gets himself into Piastri’s DRS window and breezes past the McLaren down the back straight. A few corners later, Piastri makes his long-awaited pit stop and moves over to the medium tyres for the final few laps. Piastri is told to hunt down Verstappen - now 24 seconds clear - on his fresh rubber, but while he cuts that number in half over the remaining laps, the top two positions are essentially locked in, and all the attention turns back to Norris. After that early pressure from Leclerc, Norris manages to build a more comfortable margin, with more than five seconds now separating the two drivers, meaning all the champion-elect has to do is keep things under control until the finish. Keep it under control is exactly what he does and, just over 15 seconds after Verstappen takes a deserved final win of the season, Norris secures the third position he requires to earn the title and write his name into the F1 history books. Leclerc takes the best of the rest accolade in fourth, from Russell and Alonso, as Ocon pips Hamilton to seventh after a fierce late-race battle, Hulkenberg comes home ninth and the late-stopping Stroll bags the final point - even with a penalty for erratic driving against Sainz.
Lando Norris is the new World Champion. The British driver has done it, at the end of a season full of ups and downs for all three contenders who fought for the title right until the final race. In the end, by two points, it was he who prevailed, and his consistent performance—especially after the forced retirement in Zandvoort, which had seemed to close the door on his title hopes—proved decisive. In the post-race interviews, Norris highlighted above all that he managed to win the world title in his own way, without bowing to outside pressure and criticism that tried to change him:
"The last laps? They were pretty long, to be honest. I could enjoy them more by driving a bit slower and looking at the grandstands. Maybe I even had a few tears because my visor was fogging up a little, so it was even harder to see where I was going. But I could enjoy the last laps; I was in a good position and could really take in those moments because you never know, it could be the last time I get to experience something like this. I hope and believe it won’t be, but at least I got to enjoy it as much as possible, in every way possible".
The British driver comments on the emotions he felt in the final laps, when it was clear that the World Championship was his:
"You can paint whatever picture you want of me, give me whatever image you want. I’ve always tried to be as honest and genuine as possible. Sometimes I’ve said things that not everyone might agree with, maybe they were a bit controversial, but I’ve always tried to be myself and do everything my way. I want to do things my way. Many said I had to be more aggressive, do this, do that - but you were wrong, because I didn’t listen to you and I won anyway. And I’m even prouder that I didn’t have to try to be someone I’m not this year. I stayed true to myself, I kept being a good guy on track and racing as fairly and honestly as possible. I could’ve taken more risks, done more, maybe done nastier things, pushed people off the track - it’s not hard to do that - but I preferred to do things the way I wanted. I just want to race my way, and I think I did that, and it makes me even prouder of the achievement I reached today".
McLaren has done it. The Woking team is back on top of the world, 17 years after Lewis Hamilton’s title. The new World Champion, Lando Norris, is the symbol of the team’s renaissance, which also owes much to Andrea Stella and Zak Brown. The Californian comments with justified pride on McLaren’s rise, which began in early 2023 as the slowest team on the grid and ended with triumph in Abu Dhabi. Brown expects Oscar Piastri to be a key figure in the future as well, despite a second half of the season hampered by errors partly due to his inexperience at the highest level of competition:
"Last year we finished the championship fighting with Ferrari, the most iconic team; it’s always great to battle with those guys. Red Bull is a fantastic team and Max is an incredible driver - you have to give your best to beat them. Lando and Oscar really form a dream team, and everyone at McLaren has done an extraordinary job. I can assure you we were scared too with the papaya rules, but we have two great drivers worthy of being champions. We want to race hard but fairly: we know that comes with risks, but I prefer it that way. I couldn’t be happier for the drivers, and I can’t wait to celebrate a title with Oscar too".
Unlike what F1 history might suggest, McLaren did not choose a number-one driver between Norris and Piastri and still managed to celebrate the world title with the British driver, holding off Max Verstappen, who missed out by two points. Andrea Stella comments with great pride on the result achieved at Yas Marina:
"It’s been a very long journey - 24 races make a championship a true marathon, and facing this marathon while maintaining an approach that could keep both drivers in contention as long as the math allowed was very challenging. The workload, the attention required in every single conversation with the team, with the drivers, with the managers… it was enormous. We’re all very satisfied; we’re proud that this has been rewarded with a World Championship victory, even though sometimes winning or losing depended on tiny details. We would’ve been happy with our journey regardless of the result. It would have still been a solid foundation for the future, because in a team there’s the present but also the future. You must be careful not to adopt behaviours that might give you something today but destroy long-term continuity. It was very important for us to protect the continuity of our path, not create cracks. The team’s growth shows that. Three years ago we were last; we became Constructors’ Champions last year, and both Constructors’ and Drivers’ Champions this year. This comes from the will to keep building together. It’s not very visible, but it’s fundamental".
The story did not repeat itself. Unlike what happened in 2007 and 2010, this time the driver who entered the final race of the World Championship in third place did not manage to leave the circuit with the world title. Oscar Piastri needed a miracle to overturn the outcome of this season, and that miracle did not occur. The Australian forcefully took second place at the start, overtaking Lando Norris around the outside, but he never seemed capable of challenging Max Verstappen for the race win. In the traditional post-race interviews, however, Piastri still appeared proud of his season - one in which he led the Championship for long stretches and which seemed destined to end with the title after his victory at Zandvoort, when his gap over Lando Norris in the standings had grown to 34 points. From that point on, though, a sharp drop in performance cost him the world title:
"I think we’ve seen it over the years, and I believe Max is the perfect example: you don’t need to win the world championship to prove your abilities in Formula 1".
Later, Oscar Piastri reflected on the highs and lows - emotional ones included - that he experienced in 2025, and which he says will help him mature in the future:
"I’ll look back on the positive moments with great pride and joy, and I’ll look at the negative ones with the awareness that I learned many lessons. There are still many years ahead of me and, I hope, many more opportunities".
Two points. Max Verstappen failed to complete the comeback by just two points - a margin small enough that one could point to countless episodes, above all the outburst in Barcelona when he hit George Russell, as the Dutch driver himself admitted:
"What does this year teach me? To always believe and never give up. We must be proud of how we managed tough moments when it would’ve been easy to throw everything away. Was this the best Max we’ve ever seen in 2025? I think so. We did everything we could without ever giving up. We have no regrets and we’re satisfied".
Who would have thought that, in the end, the most dangerous driver threatening Lando Norris’ podium - and therefore his title - would be Charles Leclerc? Especially in the first stint, the Monegasque stayed very close to the McLaren, forcing the British team to change strategy, while Verstappen and Piastri finished the race with a one-stop plan. It was an unexpectedly solid race for the SF-25 - which also allowed Hamilton to climb from P16 - and even Leclerc was surprised:
"No, I didn’t expect to be that fast, because we kept the same pace as the cars ahead for several laps. I made two pit stops to put more pressure on McLaren and try something different. Obviously Lando copied me, so it wasn’t so exciting. I think the one-stop strategy was the right one, but we wanted to try something different because I wasn’t going to overtake Norris with the same strategy. Now I just want two weeks off to forget this season, which has been very disappointing".
Pressed by journalists, Leclerc can’t explain why the SF-25 was so competitive at Yas Marina:
"I can’t explain it, but I think we’ve understood why. Anyway, there are no more races to test if it’s really the case. This was the last GP of this regulatory era and of these cars, so it doesn’t matter much anymore".
He also defends the choice to pit on the same lap as Norris in the first stint:
"I’m not sure an overcut would’ve worked, and we also needed to cover George Russell, who was pushing very hard, so I think stopping at that moment was the right call. Verstappen? Yes, I expected Max to pull something at the start or the end of the race, but he didn’t do any of that".
Leclerc underlines how Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari inevitably inflated expectations for a season that turned out to be deeply disappointing:
"You can always communicate better, but when someone like Lewis joins Ferrari and two sporting icons come together, it’s inevitable that so much attention forms around the team. It’s very hard to handle, if not impossible. Expectations came from the situation we were in, not from things we caused ourselves. Everything around the team is something we can’t control. The only thing we can control is being united, pushing hard, staying motivated - that’s what we’re doing. Of course, seeing a Ferrari fourth in the standings, 400 points behind McLaren, hurts a lot, but I hope we can change that situation next year"
As for 2026, Leclerc has no expectations, given the upcoming regulatory revolution:
"Predictions? None, because it’s a blank slate and we don’t know where to start or where the others will be. We’ll see".
He concludes by praising the new World Champion:
"I think emotions are the reason I love this sport so much. And as much as you want to beat your rivals, seeing the happiness on someone’s face like Lando today is beautiful. Again, what he experienced is the ultimate dream for every one of us on this grid, and I’m very happy he achieved it. He deserves it, and now it’s up to me to keep chasing him and hopefully make his life harder next year".
Lewis Hamilton, whose emotional early days at Maranello turned into a sporting nightmare with constant struggles in the SF-25, never reached the podium or pole position (except in China, where he won the Sprint Race). He ended his first season with Ferrari in eighth place, after climbing from P16:
"I had fun; I was enjoying the battle while trying to move up. It was tough to recover, and very difficult, with how close the cars are, to get back into the points. But the team did a great job. We handled the situation with strategy, and I’m happy to have scored points".
For 2026 Ferrari hopes to return to the fight for victories, in a season that will bring major regulatory changes. But Hamilton’s priorities right now, as he said before the race, are different:
"I’m not thinking about 2026; it’s not on my mind at the moment. Right now I’m only thinking about Christmas, family time, being present, and recovering".
At the end of the World Championship, Frédéric Vasseur also gives his assessment and looks toward next season:
"Overall the season has been difficult. Since the first day in Bahrain the pace wasn’t great. The beginning was very tough for us, with the disqualification in China, and after 3 or 4 races McLaren were probably 100 points ahead. But we’re competitive; we want good results and to win races. A couple of times during the season we had a great comeback, but we struggled with details all year. Today in F1 you go from P6 to P16 by a tenth, and we saw that in Abu Dhabi’s Q1. I think only McLaren and Max had the margin to handle small issues at the end of the season. That’s F1. It’s good for the sport, even if sometimes not for the teams. We keep pushing. I’d be devastated if the drivers told me we were doing a good job. A driver’s summary of a season is always about where we can improve. I’m not here to say we’re doing well. It’s in their DNA and mine to push the team to do better. They must push us to the limit everywhere. Their TV reactions? I don’t pay attention, they speak five minutes after the session and emotions come out. The important thing is having a driver who pushes the team to do better, to work together and achieve better results. Max and Lando are pushing their teams to the limit - that’s what we expect. If Charles and Lewis were very happy with everything, that’d be a problem. Whether you’re first or tenth, the debrief is the same everywhere - we all try to do better across every pillar: engine, gearbox, aero, setup, simulator… it’s the DNA of what we do. We all must push. Next year’s car philosophy will be completely different. Maybe the aero map won’t be the same. The problem we had all year won’t return, but we’ll have others. We’re focused on our project, developing, pushing, doing our best. The more time you dedicate, the better the results. But I don’t know if McLaren, Red Bull or Alpine will be ahead. Nobody knows. The important thing is not to waste energy wondering who is ahead or behind. We’ll find out in Barcelona - or more likely in Australia. And another thing: next year the hierarchy won’t be defined from Melbourne. Development and the ability to grow quickly will be crucial. After Melbourne, the season won’t be over no matter where we are. It’ll be a long road for everyone".