Overview
- Lando Norris leads Max Verstappen by 12 points with Oscar Piastri 16 behind Norris, setting up a three-way championship finale in Abu Dhabi.
- An early lap‑7 safety car saw nearly the entire field pit under Pirelli’s stint limits, but McLaren kept both cars out, a call the team admitted cost a likely win and a podium.
- Norris and Piastri voiced frustration over the strategy, as McLaren said it will review execution while maintaining its equal‑treatment approach without pre‑set team orders for the finale.
- Red Bull retracted suggestions that Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli let Norris pass and expressed regret over the online abuse he received, with replays showing Antonelli briefly lost control.
- Verstappen’s win, credited to a timely call from Red Bull’s strategy team, completes a late‑season surge from 104 points down, while Norris can clinch the title with a podium finish.