Abu Dhabi, Dec 7 (NationPress) McLaren's Lando Norris claimed the 2025 Formula 1 Drivers' Championship by finishing third at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix held at the Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday. The 26-year-old is now the first driver from McLaren to seize the championship title since Lewis Hamilton in 2008, making him the eleventh British Formula One world champion.

With this victory, Norris has ended Max Verstappen's four-year dominance in the sport during his seventh season in Formula 1. Despite Verstappen's impressive late-season resurgence, he ultimately fell just two points short after clinching victory in the final race. Piastri, Norris's teammate and a key title contender, finished second after overtaking him on the opening lap. Verstappen started from pole position and won the race.

Despite finishing behind his two rivals, Norris was unperturbed, knowing that a third-place finish was sufficient for him to clinch the title, regardless of their performances. Although Verstappen led from the outset, McLaren maintained a solid position, with Piastri's second-place finish providing crucial support. This achievement marks McLaren's first dual title win in both drivers' and constructors' championships since 1998.

One tense moment for Norris came early in his second stint when he had to navigate past cars on older tires after pitting earlier than most on lap 16. Yuki Tsunoda incurred a five-second penalty for forcing Norris off track during a maneuver along the backstraight.

For most of the race, Charles Leclerc's strong challenge posed a threat to Norris's championship hopes, but he ultimately finished over five seconds behind. Lewis Hamilton had a notable drive, advancing from 16th to 8th, capping off a challenging debut season with Ferrari.

Leclerc finished fourth, about seven seconds behind Norris, followed by George Russell in a top Mercedes, Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin, and the Haas and Ferrari drivers Esteban Ocon and Lewis Hamilton.

Additionally, after an impressive drive, Nico Hulkenberg ended his 250th race in ninth, while Lance Stroll secured the final point in tenth, despite a penalty for erratic driving.

Ollie Bearman received a late penalty for multiple direction changes while battling Stroll, finishing 12th behind Gabriel Bortoleto. Carlos Sainz finished 13th for Williams, while Tsunoda ended up penalized in 14th after his mid-race defense against Norris.

Following them were Kimi Antonelli in his Mercedes, Alex Albon from Williams, who was penalized for speeding in the pit lane, and the Racing Bulls cars of Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson. The latter faced a penalty for a clash with Bearman.

As usual, Alpine rounded out the field for 2025, with Pierre Gasly finishing a couple of seconds ahead of Franco Colapinto, despite also being penalized for exceeding track limits.