F1 World Championship permutations as Max Verstappen path to glory in Abu Dhabi emerges – The Mirror
Four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen has done an incredible job to take the 2025 Championship race right down to the wire as he eyes a remarkable comeback
Kasra Moradi Senior Sports Journalist
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08:00, 07 Dec 2025
How each driver can win the F1 World Championship in Abu Dhabi
Verstappen’s Primary Objective: Race Victory.Max Verstappen enters the final race 12 points behind Formula One championship leader Lando Norris, meaning he must secure a substantial points swing to win his fifth consecutive title. His clearest path to victory is winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which earns 25 points and applies the highest possible pressure on his rivals.
Norris’ Decisive Finish. Even if Verstappen wins the race, the championship is not automatically his, as he relies heavily on Norris’ performance on Sunday. Should the Red Bull driver take the chequered flag, he needs Norris to finish no higher than fourth place to overturn the 12-point deficit.
Verstappen’s Podium Scenarios. Verstappen must be on the podium to have any chance of winning but achieving second or third place requires huge misfortune for both McLaren drivers. A second-place finish for Verstappen, for instance, only secures the title if Norris is eighth or lower and Oscar Piastri finishes third or lower.
Norris’ Advantage. Championship leader Norris holds the advantage of controlling his own destiny simply by securing a podium finish at the Yas Marina Circuit. If Norris finishes in the top three, he automatically clinches the Drivers’ title, regardless of what Verstappen or Piastri are able to achieve.
The Critical Tie-Breaker Rule. The championship standings could still result in a tie on points, for example, if Verstappen finishes second and Norris finishes seventh in the race. Should the contenders finish level, the title is decided by the countback rule, looking first at who has the greater number of race victories.
Another Deciding Factor In Case of A Tie. The tie-breaker then moves to comparing the number of second-place finishes. In any scenario where Lando Norris is tied on points with his rivals, he is mathematically guaranteed to win the title because he has secured more second-place finishes than either Verstappen or Piastri.
Piastri’s Low-Odds. Piastri remains a contender but his path is the most difficult of the three, requiring him to finish in the top two and rely on both Norris and Verstappen faltering. Even if Piastri wins the race, he still requires his teammate Norris to finish sixth or lower to claim the championship.
