Max Verstappen Could Set Record Achieved by Only One Driver at Abu Dhabi GP
Max Verstappen could achieve a record that only one other driver in the history of Formula One has done if he wins the 2025 title.
After nine months and 24 race weekends, the 2025 Formula One season will come to an end on Sunday with a dramatic finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Heading into the race at the Yas Marina Circuit, three drivers remain in contention for the Drivers' Championship for the first time since 2010, with current leader Lando Norris, reigning champion Verstappen and Oscar Piastri all in with a chance.
Given the fact that he is currently 12 points clear on top of the standings, Norris is the clear favourite to win the title, with the McLaren star only needing to finish on the podium to secure the 2025 title.
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However, with Verstappen's recent form and his history of championship deciders in Abu Dhabi, anything could happen, and if the Dutchman is to win his fifth title he will match a stunning achievement that only one other driver has been able to do.
Like this year's race, the 2010 Formula One season saw multiple drivers arrive in Abu Dhabi as title-hopefuls, with four heading into the final with a mathematical chance of winning the championship.
Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber and Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel all started the race as challengers and in the end, just one emerged as the unlikely champion.
In his first season with Ferrari, F1 veteran Alonso, held an eight-point advantage over Red Bull's Webber, with teammate Sebastian Vettel in third, 15 points behind.
But Vettel gave himself the best chance of winning the title possible, winning the race after taking pole position in qualifying.
However, the title would still have gone to Alonso but Ferrari made a crucial error as they brought the Spaniard in for an an early pit stop, looking to cover off Webber, meaning he was stuck behind Renault's Vitaly Petrov and eventually finished seventh, with Webber behind him.
This meant that, despite not leading the Drivers' Championship standings at any point of the season, Vettel was crowned the 2010 champion.
And it is exactly this that Verstappen could achieve if he is to pull off a spectacular comeback and win his fifth consecutive title on Sunday.
Throughout the 2025 season, the top of the Drivers' standings has changed multiple times as both Norris and Piastri battled for the lead.
Overall, it is Piastri who has held the top spot for the majority of the season, but his teammate reclaimed the top spot in Mexico and now holds it for the final race.
Meanwhile Verstappen has spent almost the entire season behind the McLaren pair in third, but climbed to second in the standings after his surprise win at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Topics: Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, Motorsport, Oscar Piastri, Formula 1
Ben McCrum