Overview
- Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Oscar Piastri second and Lando Norris third, a result that delivered Norris the championship by two points.
- McLaren split strategies to prevent Verstappen from dictating the pace, with Piastri effectively supporting Norris as the finale unfolded without gambits or controversy.
- Norris’s triumph is McLaren’s first drivers’ crown since 2008 and ends Verstappen’s four‑season championship run spanning 1,457 days.
- The new champion has been praised for openly discussing self‑doubt, with figures such as Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg calling him a worthy and mature winner.
- Post‑race reports from the Telegraph suggest Helmut Marko is leaving Red Bull, and attention is already turning to the sweeping 2026 technical regulations.