For the first time in several years, Max Verstappen will be absent from the FIA Gala where Lando Norris will be celebrated as the new F1 world champion. The Red Bull driver has withdrawn from the event scheduled in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, due to illness.
According to recent reports, Max Verstappen announced his absence because of a flu attack, which prevented him from traveling to Central Asia. The decision was a precautionary measure, taken just days before the event.
Lando Norris crowned world champion, Max Verstappen absent
Friday night’s FIA Gala will still mark a historic moment for Formula 1. In Tashkent, Lando Norris will be officially crowned the 2025 F1 world champion.
Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen, who finished second and third in the recently concluded championship, were also expected to attend. Their presence would have completed the picture of the season’s main protagonists, but the Dutch driver will not be able to participate.
Verstappen’s absence does not go unnoticed. In recent years, as world champion, he had always attended the FIA Galas. The four-time world champion had participated in ceremonies held in France, Italy, Azerbaijan, and Rwanda, becoming a regular fixture of the end-of-season event. This year’s absence therefore represents a significant departure from his recent pattern.
Even if he is not physically in Tashkent, Max Verstappen could still return home with recognition. The Red Bull driver is nominated for the Action of the Year Award, one of the most anticipated prizes of the evening. It remains to be seen whether his name will be announced during the ceremony and if the award will be collected by a team representative.
After an intense and fiercely contested 2025 season, Max Verstappen’s year closes away from the spotlight of the FIA Gala. An unusual ending for one of modern F1’s most iconic faces, while the circus celebrates in Tashkent the start of a new era with Lando Norris on the world championship throne.
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