Lando Norris beats Max Verstappen and becomes world champion: the Dutchman offered a friendly piece of advice to the McLaren driver after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The championship came to a close in Abu Dhabi, where Max Verstappen had “only one piece of advice” for Lando Norris after the race. The Dutchman dominated the Grand Prix, but it wasn’t enough to secure the final two points he needed to take the title. His McLaren rival managed to contain his pursuers — most notably a resurgent Charles Leclerc — and claimed the first world championship of his career.
The end of the season unfolded more on strategy than on wheel-to-wheel fighting. With the possibility of securing the title simply by finishing on the podium, Lando Norris let both Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri pull away. The Red Bull driver set the pace and created a large gap to the rest of the field, but it still wasn’t enough. At the chequered flag, McLaren’s number 4 crossed the line in third place and sealed the world championship.
“To be honest, I feel really good,” Verstappen told Viaplay. “We did everything we possibly could to stay in this fight. It’s a shame to finish just two points short, but our first half of the season was far too inconsistent. The second part was good, but we also made mistakes. At this point it doesn’t matter whether we lost by one point or fifty.”
The end of the season unfolded once again more on tactics than pure battles on track. With the option to clinch the title simply by finishing on the podium, Lando Norris didn’t force a fight and allowed Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri to run away at the front. The Dutchman in the Red Bull dictated the pace and opened a gap to his rivals, but it wasn’t enough. At the finish line, the McLaren driver secured third place and officially became world champion.
“To be honest, I feel really good,” Max Verstappen repeated to Viaplay. “We did everything possible to stay in the fight. It’s frustrating to end up two points behind, but our first half of the year was too up and down. The second half was strong, although we made mistakes as well. Now it doesn’t matter if we lost by one point or fifty.”
Four titles in a row, 61 grand prix wins before turning 29, and still the humility to congratulate the man who finally beat him. That is why, even in defeat, Max Verstappen leaves Abu Dhabi with his legacy completely intact – and why the entire paddock knows the fight will be just as fierce when the lights go out again in 2026.
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