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Norris Clinches F1 Title in Abu Dhabi, Tsunoda Penalized After Contested Pass

McLaren’s revival delivers both championships, setting up an offseason defined by 2026 testing with Ferrari under scrutiny.

Overview

  • Lando Norris secured the 2025 World Championship by finishing third at Yas Marina as Max Verstappen won the race to fall two points short.
  • Stewards reviewed Norris’s off‑track pass on Yuki Tsunoda and ruled no penalty for Norris while giving Tsunoda a penalty for unsafe defensive moves.
  • McLaren completed a double with a second straight Constructors’ crown and its first Drivers’ title since 2008, as Andrea Stella framed the win as closing his Abu Dhabi 2010 ‘account’ and highlighted the team’s culture.
  • Post‑season tests in Abu Dhabi advanced 2026 preparations: teams ran mule cars on new Pirelli tires, Ferrari trialed an early front active wing, Kimi Antonelli logged 157 laps for Mercedes, and Isack Hadjar debuted for Red Bull.
  • Ferrari faces sharp questions after a winless year with Lewis Hamilton enduring zero podiums and Charles Leclerc calling 2026 a now‑or‑never opportunity, while Hamilton said he will switch off completely during the break and Oscar Piastri insisted McLaren should keep parity between its drivers.