Max Verstappen will start the 2025 season finale from pole position after edging McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in a tense qualifying session at Yas Marina. The result sets up a dramatic three-way title fight on Sunday.
Norris, who leads the championship by 12 points over Verstappen and 16 over Piastri, remains in the strongest position. He will secure his first world title if he finishes ahead of both rivals or claims third place or better, regardless of who wins.
Verstappen, riding a late-season surge, insists he has “nothing to lose” and is ready to attack at the start, while McLaren have confirmed they will use team orders if needed to protect Norris’s campaign.
Lewis Hamilton’s struggles continued as he qualified only 16th after a practice crash, leaving him facing another difficult race to end his toughest year in Formula 1.
With all three title contenders starting nose-to-tail, the opening moments in Abu Dhabi could decide everything.
