What Verstappen Needs to Happen to Win F1 Title after Abu Dhabi pole position

The exact details of how Max Verstappen can win the 2025 Formula One title have been revealed.

On Sunday afternoon, the famous F1 lights will go out for the final time in 2025 as the season comes to an end with what promises to be a dramatic Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Heading into the race, three drivers remain in contention for the Drivers' Championship, with McLaren driver Lando Norris the current leader ahead of reigning champion Verstappen and Australia's Oscar Piastri.

Ahead of Sunday's main race, the three all took part in a crucial qualifying session that could ultimately prove to be decisive in the title race.

After setting a spectacular lap, it was Verstappen that claimed pole position for the Grand Prix, setting himself up as a potential five-time champion if things go his way on Sunday.

Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. (Image: Giuseppe CACACE / AFP via Getty Images)

The Dutchman's lap time of 1:22.877 was enough to claim the top spot in qualifying, ahead of Norris in P2 and Piastri in P3.

If the main race was to finish in the same order, Norris would still be crowned champion as he he boasts a 12 point lead over Verstappen heading into the race.

This means that all that the British driver needs to do in order to win the Drivers' Championship is finish Sunday's race on the podium.

Meanwhile, Verstappen's most likely route to the title remains finishing the race where he will start it in P1, with Norris falling further behind to P4 or lower.

Essentially, Verstappen needs to score 13 more points than Norris to claim the championship.

If he were to score 12 more points that would put them level but, unless Verstappen won, which would give him the the anyway if Norris finished off the podium, they would both be tied on countback on seven wins each.

Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

Piastri, meanwhile, will be F1 champion if he wins the race and Norris finishes P6 or lower.

If, in an almost miraculous turn of events, all three drivers finish the race level on points, it would again go to countback.

As it stands, all three drivers have won seven races each, but as Norris has eight second-place finishes, compared to five for Verstappen and four for Piastri, he would be declared champion.