For the first time in several years, Max Verstappen was absent from the FIA Gala where Lando Norris was celebrated as the new Formula 1 world champion. The Red Bull driver withdrew from the event held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, due to illness.
According to information that emerged in the hours leading up to the ceremony, Verstappen had communicated his absence because of a bout of flu, which prevented him from travelling to Central Asia. It was a precautionary decision taken very close to the event and officially confirmed ahead of the gala.
Lando Norris crowned world champion, Verstappen absent
Despite Verstappen’s absence, Friday evening’s FIA Gala still represented a historic moment for Formula 1. In Tashkent, Lando Norris was officially crowned the 2025 Formula 1 world champion, receiving the most prestigious recognition of his career in front of FIA officials and key figures from across the motorsport world.
Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen himself were also expected to attend the event, having finished second and third respectively in the recently concluded championship. Their presence would have completed the line-up of the season’s leading protagonists, but the Dutch driver was ultimately unable to take part in the ceremony.
Verstappen’s absence did not go unnoticed. In recent years, as reigning world champion, he had always been present at the FIA Galas. The four-time world champion had attended ceremonies held in France, Italy, Azerbaijan and Rwanda, becoming a regular figure at the end-of-season celebration. This year’s absence therefore marked a clear break from that recent tradition.
Despite not being physically present, Max Verstappen was keen to put an end to any potential controversy by sending a video message of congratulations to Lando Norris, publicly praising the new world champion for the achievement secured at the end of a season that was fiercely contested until the final race.
Even away from Tashkent, Max Verstappen remained one of the central figures of the evening. The Red Bull driver had been nominated for the Action of the Year Award, one of the most anticipated honours of the gala. It remains to be seen whether his name was announced during the ceremony and whether any potential award was collected by a representative of the team.
After an intense 2025 Formula 1 world championship fought until the very last race, Max Verstappen’s season therefore came to a close away from the spotlight of the FIA Gala, marking an unusual end to a highly competitive year.
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