Source: Alamy Stock Photo

Lando Norris crowned Formula 1’s newest world champion

McLaren’s British driver Lando Norris claimed his first Formula 1 World Championship title after finishing third at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit, ending Max Verstappen’s four-year reign at the top of the sport.

Norris crossed the line behind his Australian teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Verstappen, sealing the championship by a margin of just two points after a three-way title fight that lasted until the final round.

Entering the race as the points leader, Norris needed only a top-three finish to clinch the title. Verstappen, on the other hand, had to win and hope Norris finished no better than fourth, regardless of Piastri’s result. The Australian could only win the championship by taking victory while Norris finished outside the top six.

Verstappen had staged a remarkable comeback in the final third of the season after trailing by more than 100 points at the end of the summer, but ultimately fell short of retaining his crown. Piastri, who had led the standings for over half the year, ended the campaign 13 points behind his British teammate.

Norris, 26, delivered exceptional consistency throughout the season, standing on the podium 18 times in 24 races and claiming seven Grand Prix victories — the same tally as Piastri. Verstappen won eight races.

Key moments from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Verstappen started from pole ahead of Norris and Piastri, who quickly moved into second place. Behind them were Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and George Russell (Mercedes), a top-five order that remained unchanged until lap 15 when Russell dropped out after his first pit stop.

Norris pitted early on lap 17 and rejoined in ninth, but he immediately began making up ground, passing Italy’s Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Spain’s Carlos Sainz before overtaking two cars in a single corner on lap 19. He continued his charge into fourth place behind Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, then overtook the Japanese driver on lap 23, just as Verstappen stopped for the first time — allowing Piastri to inherit the race lead.

An initial investigation was launched into whether Norris had exceeded track limits when overtaking Tsunoda. A second review later determined that Tsunoda had forced Norris off track, resulting in a five-second penalty for the Red Bull driver.

On lap 41, Verstappen overtook Piastri to reclaim the lead, shortly before the Australian made his first pit stop of the race. Norris held firm in third with no pressure from behind.

The top five positions remained unchanged until the final lap, when McLaren celebrated both the Drivers’ Championship for Norris and the Constructors’ title ahead of Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari. The new world champion sounded emotional as he spoke over team radio while his crew erupted in celebration.

Betway remains the top online betting site in Bahrain, delivering the sharpest odds on every twist of the title fight — from Norris’s charge to his dramatic championship win in Abu Dhabi.

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Key moments from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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