A cool-headed Lando Norris did exactly what was needed to win the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship, with a third-place finish at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; the culmination of a tumultuous season where the title advantage tilted between Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri before a late charge from Max Verstappen threatened to crash the McLaren party.
This season began with McLaren dominance. Norris took an early lead but was soon caught and passed by Piastri who pulled out an advantage with a series of cool, calm and virtually flawless performances.
That contrasted with Norris who appeared to feel the pressure of beginning the year as title favourite, and crashed into Piastri during a botched passing attempt at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Even so, there was little threat from elsewhere and the drivers’ championship looked destined to go to a McLaren driver, but in recent races, the wheels have come off the duo’s charge — literally in the US sprint race where the pair collided. It continued a series of wobbly performances from Piastri, which included crashing out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Since then, Norris has taken the initiative, while Verstappen has re-entered the battle after a dismal start to the season in a below-par car.
With three races to go, the drivers’ title could still go to any of the three, but the constructors’ championship is already sewn up. McLaren clinched the title in Singapore with six grands prix remaining.
Verstappen’s bid to defend the title had already faltered after a series of disasters. He spun at the British Grand Prix and tumbled down the running order, which came shortly after a Spanish Grand Prix where, frustrated at a team order to let George Russell past, he rammed the Mercedes driver and was handed a penalty that dropped him to tenth at the finish line.
The reigning champion was 104 points behind Piastri after the Dutch GP, but an upgraded floor at Monza helped turn his fortunes around. He won immediately in Italy and then Baku (where Piastri crashed out) to reduce his deficit by a third. Victories at Circuit of the Americas — in the Sprint and Grand Prix — put him back into contention.
His late run continued, and was helped no end by McLaren’s double disqualification at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, followed by victory in the Qatar Grand Prix. In the end, a final victory in Abu Dhabi wasn’t enough to clinch the title — but only by two points.
The three leading drivers were followed by George Russell and then lead Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, who ended the season in a disappointing fifth position. That’s despite glimmers of form for the Scuderia, including Lewis Hamilton‘s win in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint.
Behind them, we saw a resurgence in form at Williams and Racing Bulls; the emergence of impressive talent among the F1 rookies; and continuing struggles at Red Bull to find a team-mate who can match Verstappen, with Liam Lawson being dropped to Racing Bulls in a swap with Yuki Tsunoda two races into the season.
Tsunoda was dropped at the end of the year, but at least he made it that far. After starting the season for Alpine, Jack Doohan was left sitting on the sidelines, having been replaced by Franco Colapinto.
