Overview
- Lando Norris enters Yas Marina on 408 points, ahead of Max Verstappen on 396 and Oscar Piastri on 392, and he can clinch the championship with a podium finish.
- Verstappen most straightforwardly takes the title by winning the race with Norris fourth or lower, and any points tie without a win would favor Norris on second-place countbacks.
- Piastri faces reduced preparation after ceding FP1 to reserve Pato O’Ward under rookie-running rules, and O’Ward said he will support both McLaren contenders.
- Norris said he will not ask Piastri to give up position and both drivers confirmed the team has not discussed directives for the finale.
- The official F1 website briefly and erroneously displayed Norris as 2025 champion before the weekend, a glitch that drew attention on social media.