Max Verstappen could make Formula One history at the Abu Dhabi grand prix this weekend as he looks to maintain an unbreakable record.
Verstappen has performed exceptionally in the second half of the 2025 season to close the gap at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings to just 12 points ahead of Sunday’s race.
The 28-year-old finished first in Qatar last week to set up a tense finish to the season as leader Lando Norris could only add 12 points to his tally having ended up fourth, a full 23.315 seconds behind the Red Bull star.
Verstappen looking to win fifth successive championship
Verstappen is looking to win the Drivers’ Championship for the fifth year running and he could write his name into the history books with a unique record at hand.
Were Verstappen to pip Norris to top spot on Sunday afternoon, then he’ll have won every championship under the current regulations that were introduced in 2022.
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For the Limburg-born racer to claim a fifth successive title, he needs to come first and for McLaren’s Norris to finish no higher than fourth in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
If he does not win the race, then he can still claim the championship should out-score Norris by at least 13 points.
There is also an outside chance for Oscar Piastri to trump both Norris and Verstappen this weekend.
If the Australian wins in Abu Dhabi, then he’ll leap to the top of the leaderboard should Norris finish sixth or worse.
However, if Piastri manages a second-placed finish, then Norris would need to end the race in 10th place or lower, and for Verstappen to come in at fourth place or lower.
Any other scenario means he needs to finish 17 points clear of Norris five ahead of Verstappen.
Norris outperforms Verstappen in P2
Norris claimed an early upper-hand in the race for the Championship in P2 on Friday as the Brit managed to outpace Verstappen, while Piastri only finished the 11th fastest.
“He looked very serene out there, very calm. He knows what he's got to do,” Martin Brundle said on Sky Sports F1 on Friday.
From next year, the regulations change, which should make for a more competitive 2026 season.
Going forward, Formula One cars will be now need to be 30kg lighter, and thus better able to battle on the track. The cars will also be fitted with a redesigned power unit.
FP3 for the Abu Dhabi takes place on Saturday, 6th December before qualifying gets underway later that day at 2pm GMT.
The race itself than starts at 1pm GMT on Sunday, 7th December.
Topics: Formula 1, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Motorsport
Ben McAleer