Formula 1 finale in Abu Dhabi: Will Norris, Verstappen or Piastri claim title
Formula 1 (photo: Getty Images)
From December 5 to 7, the final round of the Formula 1 season will take place at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
Battle for Crown: Norris, Verstappen and Piastri
The main intrigue of the finale, of course, is the outcome of the title race, which promises to be one of the most dramatic in recent years.
Ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lando Norris leads the standings with 408 points. His advantage over Max Verstappen is 12 points, and over the third contender, Oscar Piastri, 16 points.
Norris can secure the first title of his career if he finishes third or higher, even if Verstappen wins, or if he takes fifth place or higher if Piastri wins, as long as neither rival finishes ahead of him in points.
Verstappen, in turn, has a chance to match Michael Schumacher's unique record of winning five championships in a row.
Main intrigues
Besides the main battle for the drivers' title, the final round at Yas Marina will also decide several other important contests.
One of them is the fight for a top-10 spot in the drivers' standings. Young Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has a real chance to finish the season ahead of the highly decorated Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari.
At the moment, Antonelli is just two points behind the Briton (150 versus 152), so he needs to score at least two points more than Hamilton to complete this symbolic overtake.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will also determine the final allocation of prize money in the Constructors' Championship. There is an ongoing fight for the runner-up position between Mercedes and Red Bull, with the Bulls needing to make up a significant gap, as well as an intense battle for the lucrative sixth place.
Four midfield teams are competing for that position: Racing Bulls (92 points), Aston Martin (80), Haas (73) and Sauber (68).
For these teams, the final placement is critically important, as the difference in prize money can reach tens of millions of dollars, which is significant for their development and next season's budget.
Final Formula 1 weekend
The sessions will traditionally take place at the Yas Marina Circuit, which is 5.281 km long.
Drivers will complete 55 laps. A notable feature of the track is its two DRS zones: between turns 5 and 6, and between turns 8 and 9.
The lap records belong to McLaren and Haas drivers: in qualifying, Lando Norris (1:22.595, 2024), and in the race, Kevin Magnussen (1:25.637, 2024).
Schedule of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:
Friday, December 5
- Free Practice 1: 12:30 PM Kyiv time
- Free Practice 2: 4:00 PM Kyiv time
Saturday, December 6
- Free Practice 3: 13:30 PM Kyiv time
- Qualifying: 5:00 PM Kyiv time
Sunday, December 7
- Race: 4:00 PM Kyiv time
Young drivers
Traditionally, in the final round, teams widely involve young drivers in Free Practice 1 (FP1) to meet regulatory requirements.
This time, nine rookies will take part in FP1, including Pato O'Ward, who will replace title contender Oscar Piastri at McLaren.
Other notable substitutions include Arthur Leclerc, the brother of Charles, who will drive for Ferrari in place of Lewis Hamilton.
Ukrainian driver Oleksandr Bondarev will also participate in the second round of the F1 GP Trophy championship.
In addition, find out when and how the Formula 1 Grand Prix is returning to Argentina.
