Over the past weekend, Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit delivered a Grand Prix finale that felt less like a race and more like a scripted season ender. A three-way championship battle between Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri went down to the checkered flag, with Verstappen taking the race win but Norris securing his maiden world title. The season finale, delivered an edge-of-the seat thriller, with Piastri overtaking Norris on the first lap, and Ferrari‘s Charles Leclerc challenging him for the finale podium spot. The tension, the drama, the emotions, and an electrifying atmosphere, the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix had it all, and more.
Missed out on the action? Scroll down to discover the highlights of the Formula 1 season finale.
NORRIS’ HISTORY-MAKING TITLE WIN
Last night, Lando Norris delivered a career-defining drive as he held onto third place and, with it, the crown. After fending off Leclerc’s charge, navigating midfield chaos, and surviving a near-grass moment with Yuki Tsunoda, he crossed the line and immediately dissolved into tears over team radio.
His message — thanking McLaren and his parents for “making a kid’s dream come true” — became the emotional pulse of the weekend. The celebrations that followed were pure cinema, complete with family hugs, lots of (happy) tears, team cheers, and donuts under the floodlights. With his maiden title, Norris became the 35th Formula 1 champion and the eight Mclaren driver to do clinch the title.
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE RACE, MISSES THE TITLE
Max Verstappen arrived in Abu Dhabi doing Max Verstappen things — pole position, a clean launch, and a decisive pass on Piastri once the tyre strategies flipped. His race win sealed his status as the driver with the most wins in 2025, but this time, it wasn’t enough. Even as he the first driver to see the chequered flag at the finale, the championship slipped away. It was a classic Verstappen performance, a comeback of a legend, that fell just short.
ETIHAD AIRWAYS’ FLYPAST SETS THE STAGE
Before the lights went out, Etihad Airways opened the show with its signature low-altitude A380 flypast, flanked by the Al Fursan jets trailing UAE colours. Led by Captain Adel Al Zubaidi, the manoeuvre blended national pride with cinematic precision and marked his eighth time leading the Grand Prix tradition. It was the perfect opening act for the title decider.
ELECTRIFYING AFTER-PARTIES
Across four nights, Yas Island turned into a festival circuit of its own. Benson Boone opened the weekend, followed by Elyanna’s Arabic–Latin fusion and Post Malone’s high-energy set. Metallica shook Etihad Park with a return worthy of their legacy, before Katy Perry closed the entire program with a neon-saturated spectacle complete with fireworks, choreography, and a finale that doubled as the last stop of her Lifetime’s Tour.
LOUIS VUITTON BRINGS HIGH FASHION TO THE GRID
Louis Vuitton elevated the starting grid by presenting all 24 of its bespoke trophy trunks created for each Grand Prix this season. The Abu Dhabi trophy — ultimately handed to Verstappen — arrived in its monogrammed trunk moments before the race, reaffirming that in Formula 1, even silverware travels in style.
ANA DE ARMAS AND THE MOST DISCUSSED FLAG WAVE OF THE YEAR
Ana de Armas took on the role of waving the checkered flag at the final Grand Prix of the season.
A PADDOCK FULL OF FAMOUS FACES
The celebrity turnout matched the scale of the race. Ana de Armas, Jannik Sinner, Peggy Gou, Katy Perry, Emily Ratajkowksi, and Benson Boone watched from the Paddock with many more global names, while regional stars including the Twins Hadban, MrMoudz, Muzi Sufi, Mo Al Halabbi, Deema Al Asadi, and Maryam Yeha brought their own spotlight to the paddock.
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