Abu Dhabi GP Grid Walk: It all comes down to this

This is what F1’s all about. Our contenders occupy the top three spots on the grid. If the race finished this way, Norris would be crowned World Champion. But as we've seen at the Yas Marina circuit before, nothing can be taken for granted until the checkered flag waves.

In qualifying, Norris already looked jittery. By contrast, Verstappen has been relaxed all weekend, staying true to his mantra of treating this race like any other. His pole laps (yes, he set the two fastest overall) were millimeter perfect, giving him the best possible chance of winning an unlikely Title—the last ten races in Abu Dhabi have been won by the polesitter.

Piastri lost out by three hundredths of a second to his teammate. But he’s already fighting an uphill battle. You can be sure that he’ll be all-in at turn one. If he’s not in with a realistic shot of winning the title, he’ll likely be asked to play the team game and give Norris a hand.

As is his trademark, Verstappen will be similarly aggressive. However, Norris holds all the cards. All he needs is a podium, regardless of what else happens. It’ll take a spectacular (if not entirely impossible) set of circumstances to deprive him of a first F1 drivers’ crown.

Despite yet another chaotic qualifying for Ferrari, Charles Leclerc could yet play a vital role in this year’s Title decider. The Monegasque may have spent half the session fighting his car, but he starts from P5 tomorrow. This might make him a “cork in the bottle” for the pack behind.

When you consider that teammate Lewis Hamilton went out in Q1, he seems to have drastically overperformed. Aston Martin, meanwhile, have scored points in 13/14 races in Abu Dhabi, and Fernando Alonso starts P6. In Sauber’s final race before it transitions to the Audi brand, Gabriel Bortoleto is next up in P7, while Isack Hadjar and Yuki Tsunoda are P9 & P10.

Each of these drivers has the potential to get into the top three’s pit window and stir things up—if they can get past the out-of-position Ferrari. As Red Bull drivers, the latter two have the biggest motivation. Can one of them become the new “Mexican Minister of Defense”?

Ahead of Leclerc, Russell is probably the biggest threat to the Title contenders. He was fastest in final practice, only to drift around the final corner in qualifying. Mercedes have also performed well in cooler conditions, so the night race could well suit them. Russell and Verstappen have had their spats, but the Brit could turn into a major ally in the race.

Heading into the final race of 2025, we have (at long last) a title battle on our hands. There’s no need for our contenders to stay cordial with their rivals. All that matters from here on out is the Championship. Norris starts with a 12-point head start on Verstappen and 16 points in hand on his teammate. The guys behind will need to shake things up somehow.

If there’s no collision at Turn 1, Verstappen could “pull a Hamilton” from 2016 and try to bunch drivers up so they put pressure on Norris. Considering that the Dutchman was in the queue behind Nico Rosberg that evening, it would be quite ironic if he did so!

Red Bull also “played the Yuki card” in qualifying; they’re likely to try using him again (especially if he can get into a McLaren’s pit window). Compared to last year, 1.0 PSI of tyre pressure has been added to improve tyre longevity. But the two-stopper is still available for those looking to set quick laps at the end, providing there’s no safety car, of course.

There are so many permutations (and echoes of 2021) at this weekend’s race. Piastri has led for 15 rounds, and Verstappen is ahead of a McLaren in the standings for the first time since April. Norris is in charge, but the nerves will start jangling if he falls from the top three. All of these "maybes" make this a potential race for the ages. The good news is it’s time for the talking to stop and the racing to begin.

By now, they know their cars. The drivers know what they have to do. It’s all to play for, and there’s no going back from here. One of them will leave a Champion. Let the best man win!