The 2025 Formula One world championship will be decided under the Yas Marina Circuit floodlights on Sunday.
Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri are in a three-way battle to determine who will be crowned the best in motorsport's premier race series at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
McLaren driver Norris is in pole position with 408 points. Red Bull's four-time world champion Verstappen is 12 points further back on 396 points, with the second McLaren driver Piastri on 392. There are 25 points up for grabs.
Norris has happy memories of Abu Dhabi, having won last year's race at Yas Marina. After avoiding an early-race collision between Verstappen and Piastri, Norris managed to win the season-ender and seal the constructors’ title for the McLaren team.
Abu Dhabi pays F1 a premium to hold its season-ending race precisely for this scenario – a winner-takes-all showdown at the capital's iconic track.
It's happened before. Here are four times the title was decided in Abu Dhabi.
2010 – Vettel’s first title (four-way showdown)
The 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix featured one of the most dramatic finales in F1 history, with four drivers all in the title hunt: Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton. Alonso led the standings and only needed a safe finish, but a strategic mistake by Ferrari changed everything.
After Red Bull's Webber pitted early after brushing a wall, Ferrari panicked and covered him with Alonso, dropping the Spaniard into heavy midfield traffic behind Vitaly Petrov’s Renault. Alonso spent most of the race stuck behind Petrov and couldn’t make up the places he needed
Radio messages grew frantic as Ferrari realised Vettel – not Webber – was actually leading the championship on track.
Meanwhile, Vettel, in the other Red Bull, controlled the race from the front, won comfortably, and – unaware he was champion until after he took the chequered flag – secured his first world title at just 23, the youngest in F1 history. It was the first time the championship leader failed to win the title at the final race.
2014 – Hamilton v Rosberg (double-points decider)
The 2014 finale was dominated by the tension between Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, with the controversial double-points rule in play. Rosberg started on pole, but a brilliant start saw Hamilton take the lead at Turn 1.
Rosberg’s hopes faded midway through the race when his car developed ERS and braking issues, costing him pace and positions. Mercedes encouraged him to retire, but he insisted on finishing, eventually limping home 14th.
With the double-points gimmick never truly coming into play, Hamilton’s early overtake was decisive. He secured his second world title, while Rosberg earned widespread respect for his sportsmanship in congratulating him despite heartbreak.
2016 – Rosberg’s revenge
The 2016 finale was another Mercedes duel, this time with Rosberg leading Hamilton in the standings going into the Abu Dhabi finale.
Hamilton needed to win with Rosberg off the podium to take the title. He led the race but deliberately slowed the pace in the closing laps, trying to back Rosberg into Vettel and Verstappen.
Mercedes ordered Hamilton to speed up – “Lewis, this is an instruction. Pick up the pace” – but he ignored the team radio. Rosberg, under enormous pressure and needing at least third, held his nerve, surviving a fierce overtake attempt from Verstappen and a late charge from Vettel.
Rosberg finished second, securing his first and only world title, then shocked the world by announcing his retirement just five days later.
2021 – The most controversial finale in F1 history
The 2021 showdown between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton saw both arrive at Yas Marina Circuit level on points, only the second time this had ever happened in F1.
Hamilton dominated the race and was on course for the title until a late crash by Nicholas Latifi triggered a safety car. Race director Michael Masi made an unprecedented decision to allow only some lapped cars through, placing Verstappen directly behind Hamilton for a one-lap shoot-out.
On fresh soft tyres, Verstappen overtook Hamilton to win both the race and his first world championship.
The result sparked global controversy, led to major FIA procedural reforms, and remains the most debated moment of the hybrid era.
