Charles Leclerc Set to Make Unwanted Formula One History at Abu Dhabi GP

Charles Leclerc is set to make unwanted history as the Formula One season reaches its climax in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

Lando Norris is expected to claim his first Drivers’ Championship on Sunday having finished second to Max Verstappen last year.

The McLaren star leads the championship with 408 points but Verstappen is breathing down his neck on 396 points.

Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri is third on 392 points having finished second ahead of Carlos Sainz Jnr in Qatar last weekend.

The Brit will hope to write his name into the history books on Sunday afternoon, and he’s not the only one who’ll set a record.

Ferrari star to make history this weekend

Leclerc has endured a tough season with Ferrari and heads into the final race of the calendar in fifth place on 230 points.

The 28-year-old will finish above teammate Lewis Hamilton, who is currently sixth on 152 points, and can end the season in seventh.

However, regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s race, Leclerc will make history for all the wrong reasons.

The Ferrari driver is yet to win a race this season, and out of all the drivers to make at least 150 starts with the same constructor, Leclerc will be the only one who has won fewer than 10 wins for that team.

Charles Leclerc following qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix (Image: Getty)

Heading into Sunday’s showdown, Leclerc has won just eight races with Ferrari, the most recent of which came in Austin, USA in October 2024.

2024 marked Leclerc’s joint-best year for wins having won three races last year, doing so in Monaco, Monza and Austin.

The three wins matched his exploits in 2022, where he claimed victory in Sakhir, Melbourne and Spielberg.

Ferrari hoping 2026 regulations will reset playing field

Leclerc and Ferrari will hope for a better 2026 season when the new regulations come into play.

The iconic Italian brand are set to finish the 2025 Constructors’ Championship in fourth after a disappointing performance from Leclerc and Hamilton.

Back in 2024, the FIA unveiled the “agile, competitive, safer and more sustainable” set of regulations that’ll come into effect next year.

From 2026 onwards, Formula One cars will be 30kg lighter, and thus more agile and better able to battle on track.

The cars will also be equipped with a redesigned power unit featuring increased power, while there will be increased overtaking opportunities through the introduction of a new system that gives drivers a short burst of additional battery power when within one second of the car in front.

What time does the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix start?

Practise for the final race of the 2025 season, and the last under the current regulations, starts on Friday, 5th December, with FP1 already underway, and FP2 starting from 1pm GMT.

FP3 then starts at 10:30am GMT on Saturday, 6th December before qualifying at 2pm GMT.

Lights out for the race itself at 1pm GMT on Sunday, 7th December as Norris looks to pip Verstappen to top spot.