The final race of the 2025 season in Abu Dhabi continues to spark debate, as Max Verstappen’s victory was not enough to secure his fifth consecutive World Championship. The Red Bull driver fell short by just two points behind Lando Norris, who clinched his first career title with a third-place finish.
No slow train
Before the Yas Marina race, there was much discussion about whether Max Verstappen would adopt a strategy similar to Lewis Hamilton’s in 2016, when the then-Mercedes driver attempted to dramatically slow the pack in the closing laps to cost teammate Nico Rosberg crucial points. Lewis Hamilton’s plan ultimately failed, and Nico Rosberg celebrated the championship.
However, Max Verstappen and Red Bull chose not to employ such an aggressive approach, partly because McLaren ran Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on different tire strategies. This decision paradoxically surprised some rivals who had hoped to capitalize on a potential Verstappen “slow train.”
Russell’s surprise
George Russell of Mercedes admitted he was caught off guard by Verstappen’s decision not to hold up the field: “To be honest, after about four laps, I realized we didn’t have the pace – George Russell told journalists discussing the season finale. “We already knew we didn’t have great speed, but I think everyone expected Max to hold the others back a bit more.”
The only early threat to Lando Norris came from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc: “Even from him I was very surprised, to be honest,” George Russell added. “Every now and then, almost randomly, Ferrari shows signs of great speed.” – the British driver concluded.
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