WEEKEND PREVIEW OF THE LAST FORMULA 1 RACE OF THE SEASON
Twenty-three races are done, one remains, and three drivers still have a shot at the 2025 World Championship. The season will end this weekend in Abu Dhabi, and besides the title fight, several other positions in the standings will be decided.
A week ago, only Lando Norris could win the title on his own. After Qatar, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri are still in the race as well, although they left the weekend with very different feelings.
In Qatar, it looked like Oscar Piastri was on his way to victory, with Verstappen behind him and Norris in third. Everything changed on Lap 7 when a Safety Car came out. McLaren were the only team that did not pit their drivers. The rest of the field stopped, saving time and gaining an advantage. That left the door open for Verstappen to take the win.
Piastri still finished second but could not fight Verstappen. Norris ended up fourth behind Carlos Sainz. Norris kept the championship lead, but Verstappen moved up to second, 12 points behind. Piastri dropped to third, 16 points off his teammate.
For Norris, the math is simple: a podium finish gives him the title no matter what. Verstappen must finish on the podium and hope neither McLaren driver does. If Verstappen wins and Norris is fourth or lower, Verstappen becomes champion. If Verstappen is second, Norris must finish no higher than eighth. If Verstappen is third, Norris must be ninth or worse.
Piastri needs to finish first or second to stay in the fight. If he wins, Norris must finish outside the top five. If Piastri finishes second, he needs Norris to be 10th or lower, and Verstappen not to finish on the podium.
McLaren still appear to have the fastest car, but their recent mistakes mean they must perform cleanly this weekend, as their team boss Andrea Stella noted.
Meanwhile, Mercedes hold second place in the Teams’ Championship, but Red Bull still have a chance to take that spot. Kimi Antonelli’s late mistake in Qatar let Norris gain an extra position. Red Bull briefly questioned whether the move was intentional, then apologized after Antonelli received online abuse. Those lost points hurt Mercedes, and Verstappen’s win allowed Red Bull to close the gap to 33 points. With 43 points available in Abu Dhabi, Mercedes only need 11 more to guarantee second place, but Red Bull could still apply pressure if Verstappen wins.
In the Teams’ Championship, Ferrari will finish fourth and Williams fifth. Racing Bulls are sixth but only 12 points ahead of Aston Martin. Haas and Sauber could also climb to sixth but would need very strong results.
This final weekend also closes the chapter on the ground-effect cars introduced in 2022. This era brought major success for Red Bull and Verstappen, but also saw McLaren return to the front, Ferrari challenge strongly, and Mercedes win races. The grid became closer as the rules matured, which made overtaking harder, but still allowed four teams to win races and nine to reach the podium in three seasons.
Next year brings a reset with brand-new rules in 2026, plus two new names on the grid: Audi and Cadillac. Audi will take over the Sauber team, while Cadillac will expand the grid to 11 teams. Both are already preparing their first cars, which will make their debut at a private shakedown in Barcelona in just 50 days. When the race ends on Sunday, the countdown to a fresh era of Formula 1 will officially begin.
Nine drivers are taking part in Free Practice 1
Pato O’Ward – Mclaren / Piastri’s car
Paul Aron – Alpine / Gasly’s car
Cian Shields – Aston Martin / Alonso’s car
Jak Crawford – Aston Martin / Stroll’s car
Ryo Hirakawa – Haas / Ocon’s car
Luke Browning – Williams / Albon’s car
Arvid Lindblad – Red Bull / Tsunoda’s car
Arthur Leclerc – Ferrari / Hamilton’s car
Ayumu Iwasa – Racing Bulls / Lawson’s car
What does Pirelli bring to Abu Dhabi
Verstappen is chasing his fifth championship, but winning this one would mean even more because of how strong his season has been. Piastri and Norris want their first title, with Norris closer than ever.
Tyres could decide everything. Pirelli’s compounds may be the key factor in a battle that will come down to small details. This is also the last race of the current ground-effect cars, the era in which 18-inch tyres were introduced.
For the finale, Pirelli brings the same tyres as in previous years: C3, C4 and C5. Earlier seasons saw some graining, but this year’s tyres are stronger and should suffer less. The main wear will be thermal, especially on the rear tyres, which work hard in the final and faster part of the track. Managing traction and race pace will be essential, as tyre performance can create or remove chances to overtake.
The track surface has medium grip and was resurfaced between Turns 1 and 4 to remove bumps that once caused cars to bottom out and lose control.
Because it is a night race, temperatures change a lot between practice and the Grand Prix. The rubber from support series like Formula 2 will also change the grip. Drivers who adapt well, and teams who read the track correctly, will have the advantage.
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