Abu Dhabi it is then. A final showdown for the title on a track famed for crowning World Champions. We have been here before and, despite the situation being somewhat different, the stakes still remain the same. Flashbacks to 2021 reverberate in the minds of all Formula 1 fans as they all cry out in unison for a clean race this time. The stage is set for this year’s dramatic WDC finale.
A perfect weekend was taking shape for Oscar Piastri as he lined up on the grid in pole position having also won the sprint race on Saturday. This would be his first pole position since the Dutch Grand Prix but in a cruel twist of fate it would be a Dutch driver that would eventually cross the finish line in first place. Max Verstappen took full advantage of an early safety car, pitting for a fresh set of tyres, opposing the tactics of both McLaren’s. This proved to be a pivotal moment in the race as Piastri fell to P2 and failed to reclaim the top spot.
Verstappen has been in impeccable form behind the wheel in the latter stages of the WDC where he has claimed three wins from the last five races. The four-time WDC Champion is also one of only three drivers that have won a race since Piastri’s win at the Dutch Grand Prix (Lando Norris and George Russell being the other two).
Having been 104 points behind the championship leader at the close of the Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen now finds himself just 12 points from first place. The Dutchman would need to finish first with Norris in P4 to claim his fifth consecutive title. But this is the world of Formula One and stranger things have happened. Nevertheless, winning the title in this manner would go down as one of Verstappen’s finest achievements and a defining moment in his claim to be the sport’s outright number one driver of all time.
McLaren, meanwhile, face a difficult task. Having blown the opportunity to crown one of their drivers as World Champion in Qatar, they will now head to Abu Dhabi with their driver pairing both within reach of the title. In the hopes of allowing both drivers an equal opportunity to claim the WDC, they have now opened the door for Verstappen to take what looked to be a guaranteed title for one of the Papaya pair.
Piastri’s frustration was clear to see at the close of the Qatar Grand Prix, stating he was “speechless” whilst completing his cool down lap. But McLaren have not thrown away the opportunity just yet. Norris will win the WDC if he wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, regardless of where his closest rivals Piastri and Verstappen finish. Norris would also win his first even if he does not win the race but finishes within 12 points of Verstappen and 16 points of Piastri. But if Verstappen wins his third consecutive race, Norris must ensure he does not finish off the podium.
The stage is set once more for a dramatic finale at Abu Dhabi. Can history repeat itself four years on from the night where it first went Dutch? Or will McLaren finally crown their first World Champion since Lewis Hamilton all the way back in 2008?
History will be made on 7th December as the lights go out for the final time in the 2025 Formula One season.
