With the 2025 F1 championship on the line, Verstappen studies his rivals as McLaren faces a tense showdown. Leaving Qatar behind, attention now shifts to Yas Marina. Abu Dhabi will decide the 2025 F1 title, with Max Verstappen pressing on Lando Norris while Oscar Piastri is still mathematically in contention. The FIA has organized a high-stakes press conference for the final media day of the season.
Abu Dhabi championship standings
1) Lando NORRIS (McLaren) – 408 points
2) Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull) – 396 points (-12)
3) Oscar PIASTRI (McLaren) – 392 points (-16)
The title will be decided in the final race weekend, with just 16 points separating the three drivers arriving at Yas Marina ready to fight for the crown. Lando Norris leads by a narrow 12 points over Max Verstappen, with Oscar Piastri, who was a long-time championship leader, just behind at -16 points from his teammate.
Verstappen turns up the pressure
In interviews following recent Grands Prix, especially in Las Vegas and Lusail, reigning champion Max Verstappen has attempted to increase the pressure on the McLaren rivals. Unexpectedly back in the title fight thanks to an incredible second half of the season, the Dutch superstar can now sense his prey. McLaren, having secured the constructors’ championship well in advance, suddenly finds themselves facing a formidable rival just when the championship battle seemed dominated by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Verstappen has repeatedly presented himself as “someone with nothing to lose.” The 1997-born driver from Hasselt has already won four world titles and is demonstrating his skill with an extraordinary comeback. For him, not winning would not be a failure, unlike Lando Norris. The British driver had a golden opportunity in Qatar to close the championship on one of the tracks most favorable to his car but was unable to do so. In Abu Dhabi, the 1999-born Norris will face Red Bull’s #1 car as well as Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, who remains mathematically in contention and appears frustrated by some of the team’s decisions over recent months.
Open battle: FIA schedules fiery press conference
The FIA adds fuel to the championship fire ahead of Abu Dhabi. During the usual Thursday press conference, the Federation will bring the title contenders to the microphone in the same session. Norris, Verstappen, and Piastri will all face the media together, promising a particularly intense session. The press conference is scheduled for 12:00 Central European Time on Thursday, December 4.
Thursday press conference: Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen
The session will give Verstappen the opportunity to further increase the pressure on the McLaren duo. Lando Norris will need to appear calm and in control, avoiding any sign of vulnerability after the challenging weekends in Las Vegas and Qatar. Oscar Piastri will also have his say: will he support his teammate Lando, or will he race solely for himself this time?
Team principals face off Friday
Additionally, on Friday, December 5, the focus will shift to a separate meeting for the team principals of McLaren and Red Bull. Zak Brown, McLaren’s CEO, and Laurent Mekies, the Austrian team’s team principal, will attend a reserved press conference for the team principals at 12:30 Central European Time.
With the drivers’ title on the line and both teams desperate to end 2025 on a high, the Abu Dhabi media sessions promise to be among the most watched and talked-about of the entire season.
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