The fireworks over the Yas Marina Circuit usually signal the end of another year of Max Verstappen dominance, but the last Formula 1 race in Abu Dhabi felt different. It was loud. It was tense. Honestly, it was the kind of finale fans have been begging for since the 2021 chaos. While Max Verstappen technically crossed the line first to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 7, 2025, the real story wasn't about the guy on the top step of the podium.
It was about the guy in third.
Lando Norris is your 2025 Formula 1 World Champion. He did it by the skin of his teeth, finishing just two points ahead of Verstappen in the final standings. If you’re looking for who won last Formula 1 race, the record books say Verstappen, but the history books will remember it as the night Lando finally stopped the Red Bull juggernaut.
What Actually Happened at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
Max Verstappen drove a basically perfect race. He started from pole, hit his marks, and stayed out of trouble. But in F1, winning the battle doesn't always mean winning the war. Verstappen needed a miracle or a massive mistake from Norris to overturn the 12-point deficit he brought into the weekend. He did his part, finishing the 58-lap race with a time of 1:26:07.469.
He was dominant.
Behind him, Oscar Piastri played the ultimate team game—mostly. He actually overtook Norris on the opening lap with a brave move around the outside of Turn 9. For a second, McLaren fans probably felt their hearts drop into their stomachs. If Norris fell further back, the title was gone.
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The pressure was massive.
Norris spent most of the night in a lonely, nerve-wracking third place. He wasn't catching Piastri, and he definitely wasn't catching Max. He just had to not crash. He had to keep Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari at arm's length. Every time the camera panned to the McLaren garage, Zak Brown looked like he was about to vibrate out of his skin.
The Numbers That Decided the Title
Here is how the top of the pack shook out at the end of the night:
- 1st Place: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 25 points
- 2nd Place: Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 18 points
- 3rd Place: Lando Norris (McLaren) - 15 points
- 4th Place: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 12 points
- 5th Place: George Russell (Mercedes) - 10 points
When the dust settled, Norris ended the season with 423 points. Max had 421. That two-point margin is the closest we've seen in years. It basically comes down to a single fastest lap or a random tenth-place finish earlier in the season.
Basically, every single corner of the 2025 season mattered.
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Why the Last Formula 1 Race Felt So Heavy
It wasn't just about the trophy. This race marked the end of an era. Lewis Hamilton finished his final race for Ferrari—wait, no, he was already in the red car by then, finishing 8th after a tough recovery from P16 on the grid. It was a weird season for Lewis. He struggled with the SF-25's balance early on but showed flashes of that old brilliance toward the end.
And then there’s the Red Bull situation.
Verstappen winning the race but losing the title is a weirdly poetic ending to his four-year reign. He won eight races in 2025, but the McLaren was consistently the better car from May onwards. McLaren also walked away with the Constructors' Championship, raking in 833 points compared to Mercedes’ 469 and Red Bull’s 451.
Red Bull actually fell to third in the standings. That’s wild.
The Mid-Race Drama You Might Have Missed
While Max was cruising out front, Norris had to deal with Yuki Tsunoda. At one point, Yuki—Verstappen's teammate—was defending like his life depended on it. Norris eventually got past, but he ran all four wheels off the track to do it. The stewards looked at it. The McLaren pit wall went silent.
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Luckily for Lando, the stewards decided Tsunoda had been "excessively weaving" and let the overtake stand. If they hadn't? If Norris had been hit with a five-second penalty? We’d be talking about a five-time World Champion Max Verstappen right now.
Margins in this sport are stupidly thin.
Looking Forward to 2026
Now that the 2025 season is buried, everyone is obsessed with the 2026 regulations. It’s going to be a total reset. We’re talking new engines, active aerodynamics, and the Red Bull-Ford partnership finally hitting the track. Max has already been spotted checking out the new 2026 livery in Detroit, sounding pretty optimistic about the Ford power unit.
But for now, the grid is catching its breath.
Lando is the man to beat. Oscar Piastri, who finished third in the overall standings with 410 points, is no longer just a "promising talent"—he’s a genuine threat to his own teammate. The dynamic at McLaren is going to be spicy next year.
If you're tracking the results of who won last Formula 1 race, you’ve got to look at the full season context. Verstappen took the trophy on the night, but Norris took the crown for the year.
Next Steps for F1 Fans:
- Check the official 2026 calendar; the first race in Australia is closer than it looks.
- Keep an eye on the "silly season" fallout, especially with rookies like Arvid Lindblad and Kimi Antonelli entering full-time seats.
- Watch the season review highlights on F1 TV to see exactly where those two points were won and lost between Lando and Max.