Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Sainz casts verdict after claiming surprise podium in Qatar GP.
“I’m so happy, so proud of the whole team and of what we’ve achieved today.” - Carlos Sainz
30 Nov 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Carlos Sainz expressed his excitement over Williams’ strong performance after claiming a podium finish at the Qatar Grand Prix. “I’m so happy, so proud of the whole team and of what we’ve achieved today.” - Carlos Sainz. He also praised Williams for their flawless execution on race day, from pace to strategy. “We nailed the race pace. I was super quick—much quicker than expected. We nailed the strategy, the tyre management, the start, the defending, and overall race management—and that brought us an unexpected podium, so I couldn’t be more proud," he added.

Sainz highlighted how the team maximised the few opportunities available in the race. “We got everything right today. We had a tough first half of the season when things didn’t come together, but we improved in so many areas over the year. Today, there were a few opportunities out there to grab, and we seized every single one by executing a perfect race.”

Reflecting on his elation at securing the podium. “I’m over the moon with this podium because I absolutely didn’t expect it,” he concluded. The podium for Sainz marked his third since his move to the Williams team, after claim third place in the race in Azerbaijan and another third place in the third place in US Grand Prix Sprint.

“Over the moon”;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/sainz...um-in-qatar-gp


How a Williams experiment led to ‘very strong’ F1 Qatar GP qualifying for Carlos Sainz
30 Nov 2025
Tiana Soans
Motorsport Week

Following a difficult outing in Budapest, Sainz remained adamant that the team could and would improve. “Yeah, I’ve been pushing hard since Budapest,” Sainz explained. “We had a very off weekend at this kind of track corner, to say let’s make sure we use this year as a learning and try something in Qatar, because in Qatar in theory we should suffer, it should be a very tricky weekend for us.”

The Spaniard brought his own simulator-tested ideas to the table, while the team contributed additional concepts. “So let’s make sure we put a plan together, we test,” he said. “I had some ideas in the simulator that I wanted to test. The team came up with other ideas, we put them all together, we went to the simulator, we tested the car, and that gave us what we believe was maybe potentially a good baseline to start the weekend and give it a bit of a go.”

From Friday’s free practice session, the progress was clear. Sainz said, “And right from the get-go it was working well this weekend and it has given us a good understanding, good learnings and confidence because as a team it’s important to do these sort of tests and get them to work.”

“We put them all together”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...ng-qualifying/


Sainz: How a brutal race was the key to Williams' Qatar GP podium
1 Dec 2025
Drew Murphy
GPblog.com

Carlos Sainz revealed how a rollercoaster Qatar Grand Prix, full of forced pit stops, helped him earn his second podium of the season. "Right from the get-go in practice, the car was a lot better than expected, a lot more competitive." - Carlos Sainz. Sainz’s hot start: Beginning the race from P7 on the grid, the Spaniard quickly improved on the opening lap as Isack Hadjar and George Russell lost positions.

Williams then made the correct call to bring him into the pits during the safety car period, and because of Kimi Antonelli's slow getaway, Sainz pushed further up the grid. Due to the Lusail International Circuit being notoriously difficult to overtake, Sainz was able to maintain his brilliant position. Proud of his team: Speaking to the media, post-race, he said: "I think it’s my proudest day in Williams.”

He was asked to explain the turnaround from previously stating Qatar would be his most difficult weekend of the season, to finishing P3. “I think it's obviously partly due to—or mainly due to—the hard work I think everyone's done trying to prepare this race after the very difficult weekend we had in Budapest. Which is kind of this long, medium-speed combined corners that we always seem to be very, very weak. We put together a plan with the team to try some different things in the simulator and in the factory to try and switch on the car for these kinds of tracks.”

"My proudest day in Williams”;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/sainz...atar-gp-podium


Carlos Sainz reveals how Williams defied internal odds to score shock F1 Qatar GP podium
2 Dec 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

Sainz explains difference between Baku and Qatar podiums. “It feels different,” he said. “Baku was a bit of a relief because I’d had such a difficult 10 races. I was very quick in the first few races, but always things happening to me. No results coming my way. One of those seasons. I think in the career of an F1 driver, you always have years where, for some reason, things don’t come your way.”

“Doesn’t matter if it’s luck, racing incidents, whatever. It just never comes together. But Baku was a relief – as soon as I got a chance to fight for a podium, I took it, and I gave the team the podium that I felt we needed and we deserved. And here, it’s more a combination of hard work and understanding. I’m extremely proud of the team because we’ve also struggled a bit at the beginning of the year with race execution, team calls, quali execution. And this weekend, everyone’s done a perfect job. Also, the pitstops were perfect. Everyone was perfect, and it’s exactly what we all needed.”

“Perfect job”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...tar-gp-podium/


Carlos Sainz reveals “something broke” late on as Williams seal eight-year high
30 Nov 2025
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Sainz hinted over team radio that he had encountered an issue with his car. Explaining his final 10 laps, Sainz described a dramatic shift in his car’s handling. “10 laps to go I decided to push flat-out because we were saving the tyres to keep Antonelli at bay,” he explained.

“Once they told me Lando was going to pass Antonelli, I was like ‘we need to open the gap to Lando as much as possible’ to see if they get into a fight. Five laps to go, something broke in my car, in the front-end. I don’t know if a piece of front wing fell off or something on the tyre. I lost massive front-end in the high-speed and medium-speed.”

“Turning right, actually on the straights, the steering wheel was like this and turning right it wouldn’t turn. Turning left would be fine. Lando caught up on me in the last two laps quite a bit, losing 0.5s of race pace. To be honest, today was controlled but at the same time pushing because I was around cars that were much quicker than me today.”

“Five laps to go, something broke in my car”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108769...ight-year-high


Sainz grabs brilliant podium for Williams in Qatar despite late scare
01/12/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Despite how assured Sainz looked from trackside, the final laps were far more dramatic inside the cockpit. With ten laps to go... ...something suddenly went wrong. “I don’t know if a piece of front wing fell off or something on the tyre. I lost massive front-end in the high-speed and medium-speed. Turning right, actually on the straights, the steering wheel was like this and turning right it wouldn’t turn.”

With a car refusing to steer properly to the right and Norris closing rapidly, Sainz somehow held firm. The McLaren made it into DRS range on the final lap, but the Williams driver’s sheer commitment – and his earlier racecraft – proved untouchable. He crossed the line to secure a joyous and hard-earned third place, his first podium since Baku and one of the most dramatic of his Williams tenure.

Sainz’s podium didn’t just energize the team – it cemented a major achievement. Williams is now guaranteed fifth in the Constructors’ Championship with one round still to go, their best seasonal result since 2017. The Spaniard also etched his own mark in the team’s recent history, becoming the first Williams driver since Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas in 2015 to take multiple podiums in a single year.

‘Williams driver’s sheer commitment’;

https://f1i.com/news/555126-sainz-gr...ate-scare.html


Sainz secures fifth place for Williams in constructors' standings
Dec 01, 2025
The Straits Times

Carlos Sainz expected Qatar to be his hardest race of the year and ended up celebrating a surprise second podium of the season that secured fifth place in the championship for his resurgent Williams team. The Spaniard has now taken twice as many top three placings in 2025 as Lewis Hamilton, the seven-times world champion who replaced him at Ferrari in January and has yet to finish higher than fourth.

"I was proud of Carlos and the team when we got our first podium in Baku," said team boss James Vowles. "The second is a dream come true, but perhaps more importantly at a track that was almost our worst last year. And we've come back, we've reinvented ourselves and the result is there for everyone to see."

‘The Spaniard has now taken twice as many top three placings in 2025 as Lewis Hamilton’;

https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...tors-standings

[Fortitude]

Lewis Hamilton has ‘so many notes’ for Ferrari in ‘no reason couldn’t fix’ claim.
“It definitely has been the most challenging year both in and out of the car,” he said. “I’ve got so many notes in terms of things we need to improve on.”
03 Dec 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Ferrari has a long list of “notes” from Lewis Hamilton on how the team can improve. Ferrari is now consigned to fourth in the Constructors’ Championship. F1 2025 has not been the season which Ferrari had hoped for, the ambitions of a title challenge not coming close to fruition. However, Hamilton is “hopeful” for progress, as he sees nothing in his “notes” that Ferrari would be incapable of triggering to make progress.

“It definitely has been the most challenging year both in and out of the car,” he said. “I’ve got so many notes in terms of things we need to improve on. Time will tell whether or not we act on those things and we keep hold of the things that are good and change the things that are not – and there’s plenty of those. There’s literally no reason why we couldn’t fix those if we just put those into action. I’m hopeful for us making progress.”

‘So many notes’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...ari-to-improve


Enzo Ferrari’s son issues ‘guarantee’ to Lewis Hamilton after dismal Qatar Grand Prix weekend
2 December 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer

Piero Ferrari issues ‘guarantee’ to Lewis Hamilton that Ferrari will improve after torrid Qatar Grand Prix. He told RMC Motori: “After a race like this, there is little to say. It’s a blow and a punch in the stomach. It hurts to see Ferrari like this, but I console myself with the thought that there is still one race left, the last of the season, and then we can put this championship behind us. In the history of Ferrari, we have had ups and downs; that’s what happens in racing.”

“It doesn’t console me, but we have had worse moments and we have always managed to bounce back. I remember 1973 and the 1975 world championships after a growing season in 1974, the crisis of the 1990s and the subsequent triumphs. “It’s part of racing, so I’m confident we’ll recover. We have some things that haven’t worked, but I can guarantee that at Maranello we also have many other things that do work.”

“The hard part is putting them all together to get the most out of them, and I’m sure we’ll do that. I have faith in the good things we have at home, and as a fan, I hope we can put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Ferrari will return to winning ways, we will certainly not give up, I know the excellence we have at our disposal.”

‘Guarantee’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/enz...-prix-weekend/


Hamilton’s Ferrari Warning: Fix This, Or Else
December 3, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com

Headline: Hamilton’s bruising Ferrari debut ends with a thick notebook — and a warning. Lewis Hamilton didn’t come to Maranello for a season like this. One to go in 2025, and Ferrari is already locked to fourth in the Constructors’ standings, winless, and running out of ways to sugar-coat a campaign that never got off the ground. Hamilton’s response? A stack of notes big enough to wedge under a wobbly simulator. And a pointed message: there’s no reason these can’t be actioned.

“It’s definitely been the most challenging year both in and out of the car,” he said after a scrappy Las Vegas–Qatar double that summed up Ferrari’s fade. “I’ve got so many notes in terms of things we need to improve. Time will tell whether we act on those things… There’s literally no reason why we couldn’t fix those if we just put those into action. I’m hopeful for us making progress.” Hopeful, but hardly blind to reality. The last three rounds brought only 20 points for Ferrari across both cars, and the drop-off has been stark. Hamilton’s qualifying form deserted him at exactly the wrong time — last on the grid in Vegas, then a double Q1 exit in Qatar as set-up experiments sent the weekend sideways.

He started the Sprint from the pit lane and the Grand Prix from P17, scrapping to 12th at the flag and finishing 12 seconds behind Alex Albon’s Williams. The contrast hurt. Carlos Sainz, now leading Williams’ resurgence, logged his second podium of the year in Lusail. Hamilton admitted it “highlighted just how developed everybody else is and how undeveloped we are at this point of the year,” adding that he was nearly swallowed by the Stake and couldn’t live with the Williams on race pace. When a car in blue takes a trophy and Ferrari leaves with a shrug, Maranello takes notice.

‘A thick notebook — and a warning’:

https://fastestlap.com/news/hamilton...-this-or-else/


Jean Alesi slams Fred Vasseur’s ‘embarrassing’ excuse for Lewis Hamilton’s dire first Ferrari season
2 December 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Jean Alesi slams Fred Vasseur’s ‘very weak excuse’ that Ferrari focusing on 2026 ruined 2025. Having also failed to get a single Grand Prix podium during the first 23 rounds, Hamilton has called 2025 his “worst season ever” in F1. The seven-time champion has never failed to take a rostrum before, and he will set his worst total under the points system introduced in 2010.

Team principal Fred Vasseur suggested at the Qatar Grand Prix that Ferrari have struggled in 2025 as they shifted their development focus onto the 2026 F1 regulations back in April. Yet Jean Alesi thinks Vasseur offered a “very weak” excuse for the misery Ferrari have produced. “Ferrari’s attitude makes me think of an embarrassing attempt to protect this failure,” Alesi told Corriere della Sera, via quotes by Fanpage. He added: “Saying that all development was interrupted to prepare for next year’s car seems like a very weak excuse.”

‘Embarrassing’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jea...errari-season/


Lewis Hamilton’s ‘only hope’ identified after atrocious F1 season
Martin Brundle assesses a dismal weekend for Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton.
02 Dec 2025
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Martin Brundle believes Lewis Hamilton’s “only hope now” is that Ferrari ace the 2026 F1 regulation shake-up. “Ferrari had a miserable weekend which team boss Fred Vasseur has attributed to the very high tyre pressures mentioned earlier,” Brundle wrote in his latest Sky column.

“They lacked rear grip and general handling balance and are now confined to fourth in the Constructors' championship behind McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull. Charles Leclerc appeared to be fighting his car every corner of every lap to secure eighth place and Lewis Hamilton looked equally challenged and too had many adventures for an anonymous 12th place.”

“It's very difficult times for the Scuderia and particularly Lewis, who can only hope now that Ferrari do a great job on the massive 2026 regulation changes if he's going to add to any of the statistic tables in a positive way. Antonelli is just two points behind Hamilton in the championship, the man he replaced at Mercedes, and despite nine races in the wilderness it will sum up Lewis's year if the Italian teenager beats him to sixth in the championship.”

“Challenged and too had many adventures”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108774...ious-f1-season


Lewis Hamilton’s priceless response to Max Verstappen’s Qatar F1 win
Lewis Hamilton reacts to the latest twist in the 2025 F1 title race.
02 Dec 2025
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Seven-time world champion Hamilton endured another miserable race for Ferrari, finishing a lowly 12th. Afterwards, he admitted he had no idea who had won, and assumed Piastri had. “How's Max 12 behind now?” Hamilton asked upon being told the championship picture. “Max won? Oh, shoot, I didn't know, I had no idea. Wow, holy sh*t. No, no, I thought Piastri won, I don't know.”

When informed that Norris had only finished fourth, Hamilton responded: “Oh, really? Lando was fourth? Where’s Piastri?” Hamilton was then informed that Piastri finished second ahead of Carlos Sainz’s Williams. "So Oscar's third now [in the championship]?” Hamilton added. “Well that’s exciting! Goes right to the wire!”

Hamilton praised the job Verstappen has done this year to remain in the hunt, having remarkably reduced what was a 104-point deficit after the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August. “Well, we all know Max does a great job,” Hamilton said. “I think he's got a phenomenal team behind him, which there's no denying they've had the best car over the last four years. And maybe less so at the beginning of this year, but they somehow came back. He's obviously got a great car, but he does an amazing job with it, so I can't fault him.”

‘Priceless response’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108773...s-qatar-f1-win

[Fortitude]

Verstappen is only one McLaren blunder away from his fifth title.
Things keep going wrong at McLaren, where the first signs of championship pressure seem to be emerging.
1 Dec 2025
Tim Kraaij
GPblog.com

After the Qatar Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is just one slice of luck away from wrapping up his fifth world title. Even a seemingly hopeless position in Qatar ended up breaking his way. After qualifying for the GP in Qatar, the mood was gloomy. Although a pole position for Oscar Piastri was good news for the world title fight, a third place for Max Verstappen wasn’t enough to truly have hope for the result the Dutchman needed.

Although Verstappen saw the gap to Lando Norris shrink dramatically due to the disqualification of both McLarens in Las Vegas, the 24-point deficit was still large enough that Verstappen could already be eliminated from title contention in Qatar. After qualifying behind both McLarens, the title fight seemed over for Max.

But 24 hours later, the mood in the paddock had completely flipped. After yet another major blunder from McLaren, it was Verstappen who seized the victory and suddenly sits second in the championship. The gap to Norris is now just 12 points, leaving everything to fight for in Abu Dhabi.

‘Championship pressure seem(s) to be emerging’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/features/v...is-fifth-title


Verstappen now McLaren’s worst nightmare: ‘Call me Chucky’
30/11/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

In the post-race press conference, Verstappen laughed off Brown’s comments — and even leaned into the metaphor. “You can call me Chucky,” he laughed, the Dutchman referencing the demonic ‘Child’s Play’ character. "I don’t know, I mean I saw it [Brown’s comments] as well, I thought it was quite funny. From my side I just focus on myself, you know…”

“I know that when I go in the car, I just try to do the best like I guess everyone does. That’s the only thing that I can control, right? And that’s the only thing that I focus on. I'm a lot more relaxed now,” he said. “I know that I'm 12 points down. I go in there with just positive energy, I try everything I can but at the same time if I don't win it, I still know that I had an amazing season. So it doesn't really matter. It takes a lot of the pressure off. I'm just out there having a good time like I had today.

“I also started today with 'oh, we'll see how it goes.' I know that when I sit in the car I will always maximise everything I can and that's what I'll try to do also in Abu Dhabi. But at the same time, I also know that we need to rely on probably some external factors to have a go at it. But a race like today shows that we think it's going to be boring and straightforward. It's not, so I'm hoping that Abu Dhabi is going to be similar.”

‘McLaren’s worst nightmare’;

https://f1i.com/news/555027-verstapp...me-chucky.html


Verstappen lands ‘another one’ McLaren quip after Qatar GP strategy error
30 Nov 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Earlier in the race weekend, Verstappen had suggested that he was only still in the title picture due to “other people’s failures”. Norris had responded by stating his “respect” for Verstappen, but added: “Max generally has a good clue about a lot of things. But, there’s also a lot of things he doesn’t have much of a clue about.” He suggested that “Red Bull’s way of going about things is this kind of aggressive nature and, yeah, just talking nonsense a lot of the time.”

Following his victory, Verstappen was asked whether McLaren’s Qatar strategy blooper supported his claim. “Another one, yeah,” he responded. “When they called me in, I had to look and remember that we were going into Lap 7. So I was like, ‘Okay, now we can go to the end,'” said Verstappen. “So then, yeah, I was a bit surprised once I did the whole pit stop, because, I mean, when they call you in, you’re focused on the box and making sure you’re not in trouble with releasing and whatever.”

“So when I came out of the pits, I was like, ‘Okay, I think this is a very good opportunity now for us to win the race.'” Asked if he thought, at that moment, that this was his race to lose, Verstappen replied: “I thought at that moment that there was a big chance of winning it, yeah. I don’t think about losing. That’s not in my head. I think about how to win.”

“Another one, yeah”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...-quip-qatar-gp


‘Call me Chucky’: Max Verstappen revels in McLaren’s Qatar Grand Prix horror show
30 Nov 2025
The Straits Times

Formula One champion Max Verstappen revelled in McLaren’s strategy horror show at the Qatar Grand Prix on Nov 30 as the Red Bull driver won again, days after the team’s boss compared him to a movie monster who keeps on coming back. Verstappen passed Norris at the start and pitted from second on Lap 7 when the safety car was deployed, while the McLarens stayed out and paid the price... “We should have followed him in, no? If we knew the car in front was staying out?“ asked Norris on team radio. Norris would have won his maiden F1 crown with victory in Qatar.

That rocketed Verstappen up to second in the championship, 12 points behind Norris with only the Abu Dhabi finale remaining and four ahead of Piastri. At the end of August, the Dutch driver had been 104 points off Piastri’s lead. “I didn’t expect to win today, that’s for sure,” Verstappen told Sky Sports. “Looking at pure pace, we were not on the same level as McLaren, but we made the right call, as most of the grid did, in boxing under the safety car. That almost gives you a free pit stop and that made the race for me. For sure, that call at the pit stop made me win the race today.”

Red Bull reinforced that feeling by sending Hannah Schmitz, the team’s principal strategy engineer, up to the podium to share the 28-year-old Verstappen’s fizzy celebrations under the floodlights. Verstappen said he did not think McLaren had messed up by trying to be fair to both drivers, not wanting to disadvantage one over the other in the title battle if they had double-stacked them at a pit stop, but just made a wrong call. “It was about missing the whole pit-stop opportunity,” he said. “On pure pace they are faster, but as it showed today again, anything is possible.”

‘Red Bull reinforced that feeling by sending Hannah Schmitz, the team’s principal strategy engineer, up to the podium’;

https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...ar-horror-show


Abu Dhabi F1 finale: History haunts McLaren, beckons for Verstappen
Dec 3, 2025
Laurence Edmondson
ESPN.co.uk

Strange things often happen when a Formula 1 title fight goes down to the final race of the season. Nerves ramp up, past form counts for nothing, and even the rules of the game -- such as how a race director implements the safety car procedure -- can get lost in the madness ... just ask Lewis Hamilton.

Logical advantages -- such as holding a 12-point margin at the top of the championship, like Lando Norris has over Max Verstappen -- can hold little comfort when you qualify out of position and line up on the grid needing to make up places to secure the title. Each setup decision over a weekend can snowball in the wrong direction or you could, simply, become the unwitting victim of someone else's accident, safety car or pit strategy gamble during the race.

And when there's more than two protagonists in the running -- like there is this year with Norris, Verstappen and Oscar Piastri all still mathematically in contention -- it's not unheard of for the outsider to emerge victorious. Minimizing pressure can sometimes be the easiest way to maximizing lap time. To borrow a phrase from legendary commentator Murray Walker: "Anything can happen in Formula 1, and it usually does."

‘Nerves ramp up, past form counts for nothing, and even the rules of the game’;

https://www.espn.co.uk/racing/f1/sto...max-verstappen


Don’t Blink: Norris, Verstappen, Piastri Decide It All
December 3, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com

Headline: Norris unmoved as Verstappen closes in: “He’s been the threat all year” Lando Norris walks into Yas Marina with a 12-point cushion and a clear conscience. Max Verstappen is close enough to make it interesting, Oscar Piastri is still in the fight, and McLaren’s title leader insists nothing changes for the finale. “We’ve treated Max like the threat since day one,” Norris said in Qatar, keeping his voice flat and his eyes on the bigger picture.

“Every race, every briefing — we know what he and Red Bull can do. So there’s no reason to act differently now.” It’s not posturing. Even when Verstappen looked miles back — 104 points off then-leader Piastri after the Dutch Grand Prix — McLaren never bought into the gap. They know how a championship unravels, and how quickly Verstappen tidies it back up. Over the final third of the season, the reigning champion has dragged himself into range and arrives in Abu Dhabi with a shot at a fifth consecutive title.

Norris can kill the suspense with a podium on Sunday. That’s the cleanest line through this. Verstappen’s win last time out tightened the screws, but it didn’t flip the narrative: the title is still Norris’s to lose. Verstappen, four points ahead of Piastri, must do what he usually does at Yas Marina — qualify up front, control the tempo, and pray McLaren blinks.

“We’ve treated Max like the threat since day one.. Every race, every briefing”;

https://fastestlap.com/news/dont-bli...decide-it-all/

[Fortitude]

Australian politician raises Oscar Piastri-McLaren F1 title 'conspiracy'.
One Australian politician has raised the idea that McLaren is "biased" against Oscar Piastri in the F1 title fight.
3 December 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

In a committee meeting of the Australian Senate Rural, Regional Affairs, and Transportation Legislation Committee, Canavan asked secretary Jim Betts if McLaren "is biased" and "costing" Piastri the title.

"It’s been a bit of a frustrating night for some Australians,” said Canavan, a National Party senator for Queensland. "I don’t know who to ask this to, but you deal with transport and cars. So do you think McLaren is biased against Oscar Piastri and costing him the world championship?"

The hearing room then erupted into laughter as Betts tried his best not to answer the question, with Regional Affairs minister Anthony Chisholm then being asked. "I definitely think he's copped some raw decisions this year," came the reply.

‘Canavan asked secretary Jim Betts if McLaren "is biased" and "costing" Piastri the title’;

https://racingnews365.com/australian...tle-conspiracy


Piastri conspiracy theory reaches parliament
The debate over whether McLaren has shown bias against Oscar Piastri has jumped from social media threads to the floors of parliament.
3 Dec 2025
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe

“It’s been a bit of a frustrating night for some Australians,” Canavan said as he raised the Qatar Grand Prix blunder that saw Piastri miss out on victory. “I don’t know who to ask this to, but you deal with transport and cars. So do you think McLaren is biased against Oscar Piastri and costing him the world championship?”

Betts avoided committing to an answer, prompting Canavan to turn to Regional Affairs Assistant Minister Anthony Chisholm. “I definitely think he’s copped some raw decisions this year,” Chisholm replied, noting his daughter, now “obsessed with F1,” would be “very upset when she gets up this morning.”

The exchange, delivered with clear humour, highlighted how strongly some fans believe Piastri has been disadvantaged in McLaren’s title fight. Those theories gained traction after Qatar, where McLaren’s decision not to pit Piastri and Norris under an early Safety Car allowed Max Verstappen to claim a victory Piastri had appeared set to convert from pole.

‘The floors of parliament’;

https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-o...m-bias-claims/


‘Looking for his crew’: McLaren questioned as Piastri fan footage raises eyebrows
Piastri in pit lane, where is McLaren?
December 3rd, 2025
Tyson Otto from News.com.au
Fox Sports (Australia)

Oscar Piastri’s team has come into question after fan footage showed Piastri getting congratulated by the pit crew of a rival team following Monday morning’s dramatic Qatar Grand Prix. McLaren engineers and officials continue to come under fire from F1 commentators after the team’s race strategy blew up in its face at the Lusail circuit.

The way the race unfolded poured fuel on speculation that McLaren has a favouritism for British driver Norris. Such a conclusion could be drawn after fan footage of Piastri showed a lack of McLaren staff when he parked his MCL39 in parc ferme following the race. An elated Verstappen climbed out of his Red Bull and performed a swan dive into the arms of waiting team members as the team celebrated the unlikely win. There appeared to be at least 10 Red Bull team members roaring and first-pumping.

Williams driver Carlos Sainz, who recorded just his second podium with the team, was celebrating wildly with up to 20 members of the team screaming behind the fence. Piastri, meanwhile, looked far lonelier following the disappointing result. The 24-year-old cut a dejected figure as he was seen walking to the fence for a brief stop before walking over and congratulating Verstappen and Sainz. Footage showed Piastri getting congratulated by members of the Williams team, with his own crew not visible on the live Fox Sports broadcast.

‘Looking for his crew’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...9d570704ed96cc


Oscar Piastri set for critical Abu Dhabi disadvantage as McLaren replacement named
Oscar Piastri has no choice but to sit out Free Practice 1 at the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
3 December 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

McLaren has confirmed that Pato O'Ward is to deputise for Oscar Piastri in Free Practice 1 at the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Piastri has no choice but to miss the opening 60 minutes of practice at Yas Marina, as he has only filled one of the two mandatory slots for his car to be handed over to a rookie driver.

For Piastri to be crowned champion, he must finish in the top two. If he wins, he moves to 417 points, so he requires Norris to be sixth (eight points) or lower, with Verstappen's result irrelevant. If Piastri is second, he moves to 410 points, meaning Norris must be 10th or lower (one point), with Verstappen fourth or lower (12 points).

‘Critical Abu Dhabi disadvantage’;

https://racingnews365.com/oscar-pias...lacement-named


‘Worst ever seen’: Insiders lift lid on ‘disgusting’ Piastri treatment... as ex-F1 champ makes big claim
Piastri in pit lane, where is McLaren?
December 4th, 2025
Fox Motorsport from Fox Sports
Fox Sports (Australia)

An F1 insider has lifted the lid on the perceived bias against Oscar Piastri in an explosive report, while a former F1 world champion believes all the outside noise is starting to get to the Australian. Villeneuve even suggested that if Piastri was in a position where he was asked to listen to team orders he may not be so willing to do so this time around with the title on the line. “Will Piastri help Norris win the championship if he can’t? No, because until the last lap Piastri could still win the championship,” Villeneuve said. “On the last lap, both Max and Norris could blow an engine.”

Villeneuve’s comments came as a report from CODE Sports lifted the lid on the tense situation at McLaren, including one sight at last weekend’s Qatar Prix that didn’t go unnoticed. While McLaren’s botched strategy cost Piastri a shot at the win, he still was able to get onto the podium in second place. However, Piastri was joined by just two members of the McLaren crew in contrast to the dozens that are usually in attendance. According to the CODE Sports report, Piastri noticed it too and words were exchanged behind closed doors.

One veteran UK reporter told the publication that Piastri’s mistreatment was the worst he’d ever seen towards a top driver, while a F1 insider called the bias against the Australian “unquestionable”. “It’s disgusting to see what’s happening. It’s like he’s fighting with one arm tied behind his back,” the insider said. “He’s constantly being undermined by the team.”

'Insiders lift lid on ‘disgusting’ Piastri treatment...';

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...02e1edc99ff5b7

[Fortitude]

Bernie Ecclestone lists five reasons why Lando Norris will lose the 2025 F1 title to Max Verstappen.
“Lando is fine, a really good driver, but he is over-confident, too cocky, believing his own publicity, but he gets nervous at crunch moments and can’t quite deliver the way Max can when the pressure is on.”
4 December 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

McLaren are trying to protect Norris at all costs, but Bernie Ecclestone has given a variety of reasons why he thinks Verstappen is going to secure a fifth consecutive title in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Ecclestone was speaking to the Daily Mail ahead of another season finale, and asked who he thinks will win the championship.

He said: “I still believe Max will do it. He deserves it. I used to say Alain Prost was the best driver of all time, doing it on his own without a radio to the pit wall telling him what to do, but I think Max is the best I have known. He stands alone.”

‘McLaren have been very helpful to Lando over Oscar, supporting him over the other guy, such as changing them around in Monza after Lando had a bad pit stop, and that way of working may yet be good for them, I don’t know. It’s not what I would have done. A bad pit stop is part of racing. You have to accept it, not engineer it.”

‘Nervous at crunch moments’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ber...ax-verstappen/


Bernie Ecclestone questions “too cocky” Lando Norris in 2025 F1 title fight
Bernie Ecclestone has his say on the 2025 F1 title race
04 Dec 2025
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone believes Max Verstappen will seal the championship in Abu Dhabi, casting doubt over Lando Norris’ ability to deliver under pressure. The 95-year-old has never been shy about giving strong opinions on F1. Giving his view on the 2025 title fight, Ecclestone said Verstappen “deserves” the championship and criticised Norris for being “over confidence” and “too cocky”.

“Too cocky”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108779...f1-title-fight


Bernie Ecclestone reveals why he believes Max Verstappen will pip 'cocky' Lando Norris to the title this weekend
3 December 2025
JONATHAN MCEVOY
MailOnline

Formula One’s Godfather Bernie Ecclestone has declared that Max Verstappen will spoil the dreams of a ‘cocky’ Lando Norris, acclaiming the Dutchman as the best driver the sport has ever known. ‘I still believe Max will do it. He deserves it. I used to say Alain Prost was the best driver of all time, doing it on his own without a radio to the pit wall telling him what to do, but I think Max is the best I have known. He stands alone.’

‘Lando is fine, a really good driver, but he is over-confident, too cocky, believing his own publicity, but he gets nervous at crunch moments and can’t quite deliver the way Max can when the pressure is on.” In a sign of his heightened anxiety, however, Norris has reaaranged his schedule by pulling out of his customary briefing with the British press for the first time in his 152 races, to concentrate on the task in hand.

‘In a sign of his heightened anxiety’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...do-Norris.html


Sainz: Norris’s Title to Lose—Unless Yas Marina Strikes
December 4, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com

Carlos Sainz backs Norris for title — with a pointed warning about Yas Marina. Carlos Sainz thinks Lando Norris has the title right where he wants it — but he’s not pretending a Sunday podium at Yas Marina is ever straightforward, even in a McLaren.

The Williams driver, who shared a garage (and a fair bit of golf) with Norris at McLaren in 2019–20, expects the Abu Dhabi layout to play to his former teammate’s strengths as this three way championship fight lands on the final square. Norris arrives 12 points clear of Max Verstappen with Oscar Piastri four further back; finish on the podium and the Briton can lock up his first world title regardless of what the others do.

“I’ll be watching very closely,” Sainz said in Abu Dhabi. “Everyone knows how well I get on with Lando — I wish him the best possible outcome. I also have a lot of respect for Max and Oscar. But if the finale had to be anywhere for Lando, it’s here.”

‘Lando Norris has the title right where he wants it’;

https://fastestlap.com/news/sainz-no...arina-strikes/


Norris faces nerve-shredding three-way scrap to claim maiden title
December 4, 2025
France 24

Abu Dhabi (AFP) – Lando Norris will battle his own nerves as much as his rivals' speed as he bids to end Max Verstappen's four-year reign as F1 world champion in Sunday's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

After two weekends of self-inflicted setbacks, championship leader Norris and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri need an error-free event to ensure Red Bull's number one cannot complete a spectacular end-of-season recovery in glorious style. On paper, it is Norris's title to lose, but history – recent and past – shows anything can happen when the stakes are at their highest.

In 2010, for example, Ferrari's two-time champion Fernando Alonso arrived with an eight-point lead on Red Bull's Mark Webber with his team-mate Sebastian Vettel 15 adrift in third ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton. Vettel took pole position and won, Hamilton was second and Alonso and Webber seventh and eighth.

‘Nerve-shredding three-way scrap’;

https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...m-maiden-title


Norris take note: The F1 points leader usually loses three-way title fights
2025 Qatar Grand Prix stats and facts
3rd December 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

No driver in Norris’s situation has won the title in the last 50 years, though this of course reflects on the scarcity of championship deciders involving more than two drivers:
Year Champion Position before final race Rivals
1950 Giuseppe Farina 3rd Juan Manuel Fangio, Luigi Fagioli

1959 Jack Brabham 1st Stirling Moss, Tony Brooks

1964 John Surtees 2nd Graham Hill, Jim Clark

1968 Graham Hill 1st Jackie Stewart, Denny Hulme

1974 Emerson Fittipaldi 1st Clay Regazzoni, Jody Scheckter

1981 Nelson Piquet 2nd Carlos Reutemann, Jacques Laffite

1983 Nelson Piquet 2nd Alain Prost, Rene Arnoux

1986 Alain Prost 2nd Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet

2007 Kimi Raikkonen 3rd Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso

2010 Sebastian Vettel 3rd Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton


‘No driver in Norris’s situation has won the title in the last 50 years’;

https://www.racefans.net/2025/12/03/...-title-fights/


David Croft thinks Oscar Piastri could use controversial tactic to beat Lando Norris at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
3 December 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

David Croft says Oscar Piastri could back Lando Norris into the pack. McLaren aren’t planning to impose team orders this weekend because both of their drivers can still mathematically win the title. This stance could change in race if Piastri’s hopes disappear entirely.

One pundit has suggested that Piastri will try to ‘trip up’ Norris to show his ‘dissatisfaction’ with the McLaren management. But Croft has no doubt that he will ‘play the team game’ based on a conversation earlier in the season. However, he does think that, if Piastri gets into the lead and Norris is second, the Australian might start lowering his pace, which would push his teammate into the clutches of the cars behind.

“I can see Oscar winning the race, I can see a Lewis Hamilton/Nico Rosberg 2016 scenario, where Oscar doesn’t go quite as fast and might back his teammate up into the pack. That is absolutely acceptable, and I would expect nothing less. But I think Lando will emerge as champion with Oscar winning the race.”

‘Controversial tactic’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...bi-grand-prix/

[Fortitude]

F1 - 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Thursday Press Conference Transcript.
04.12.25
FIA (Press Release)

Q: Tell us about your preparations and how you're going to approach the season finale. Lando, perhaps we could start with you.
Lando NORRIS: Sure. Same as every weekend. Nothing changed. Of course, just some reviews of last weekend, like the same after every weekend really—review what went on, what was clearly and obviously not good for us, some of the mistakes we’ve made, and also the less obvious things that we could improve on. But that’s normal post-race understandings and therefore preparations for the next race. But otherwise, nothing does change. I mean, it gets treated the same from everyone inside the team. Just more excitement, I guess, for everyone at the same time. But apart from that, the work and how you approach it all remains the same
Max VERSTAPPEN: Spent some time with my daughter, figured some stuff out for GT3 for next year, figured out some stuff for my sim team as well, planning for next year. So, yeah, just pretty straightforward stuff before arriving here, to be honest.
Oscar PIASTRI: I mean, I wasn’t organising GT3 teams, but I played some padel, and just treated it like normal. Obviously, there’s not that many days in between. Had a marketing day, so that was good fun, and that’s been about it.

Q: (Marina Becker – TV Bandeirantes): I just wanted to know if your parents are here, and some friends, and did you allow them to come, or did you ask them to come?
LN: A mix. I mean, it’s end of season. Every year I invite some of my friends because they’re just as important as the rest in terms of – a lot of my friends support me every weekend, support me every week, cheer for me. I always lean on my friends for advice and help in different moments. So yeah, win or lose, end of the season, it’s always nice to share it with them. But I do that every year, so it’s nothing special from that point of view. And my parents come to many races, and they’re here again because it’s the final one – not because of it being a good one or a bad one or whatever it may be. They come to the final race of the season every time. So, a little mix, but no, I want them to be there because it’s a moment again, win or lose, it’s a moment where I just want to share every bit that I can with my friends, with my family, because it’s also fun for them.
MV: No. Parents are not here. My dad is rallying in Africa. And my mom… Yeah, I guess it was not planned. I also didn’t really plan to be in the title fight till the end. So, yeah, here we are. Yeah, I think after Zandvoort everything was a bit cancelled, I would say. My mom is at home happy with the dogs. So yeah. You can see a lot on TV anyway.
OP: Yeah, my family is here. Kind of similar to Lando in some ways. It’s the last race. I’ve done a lot of racing without any of my family and friends in my career, so it is always nice to have them there. But it doesn’t change the world, let’s say. It is nice, obviously, but I know some people actually prefer it when their parents aren’t there or they don’t have people around. But for me, it is a nice thing.

Q: (Scott Mitchell-Malm – The Race) It’s a question to all three, starting with Max. In terms of dealing with the weight of the occasion—you’ve obviously been here and done it. And compared to 2021 in particular, how are you feeling about it in terms of tension or whatever? Because I think I remember in '21 you said you ended up driving with cramp during the Grand Prix because it was obviously so stressful. And then for the two McLaren drivers—how are you dealing with the pressure?
MV: I’m very relaxed. Nothing to lose, you know? So, I’m just enjoying being here. But for me, it’s not even about being here. I’ve been enjoying the second half of the season, working with the team, how we’ve been able to turn it around from difficult times and really having a debrief after the race, being very disappointed and frustrated with the performances to just enjoying, smiling. Having these wins again is fantastic. So, I just take it – everything here is just a bonus, sitting here fighting for the title. So that’s also what makes it very straightforward for me. We will just try to have a good weekend. But then even then, it’s not really in my control, you know? So we just, yeah, like I said, try to enjoy it.
LN: Similar. I know I’ve obviously not been in this situation before, so pretty different, I guess, for both of us. But at the minute, I feel good. Like, I really don’t think of it at all until you guys ask it all the time. So, it’s trying to avoid you guys as much as possible! But that’s also part of the job. So it’s nothing new. It’s nothing that shocks me. Whatever. I come into the weekend not thinking of it. For the last three days, just playing some golf and being with my mates and having a good time. And I look forward to doing that on Monday, whether I’m hungover or not. So, yeah, really it is the same, and I think it’ll be the same on track as how I’ve been the last few weeks. As much as there’s been pressure the last few weeks, I’ve still felt comfortable and I still feel good in the car. So, just yeah. All good.
OP: Yeah, I’m relaxed. I’ve been on the opposite side of the championship battle in the junior categories, and I know what that felt and it was pretty tough. So, coming into it from, you know, the least to lose out of us three is quite different for me. And I think off the back of Qatar, I’ve got a lot of confidence that I can perform well. Obviously, I need a fair few things to happen this weekend to come out champion, but I’ll just make sure I’m in the right place at the right time and see what happens.

‘Preparations, support, dealing with the weight of the occasion’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2025-abu...nce-transcript


Seven things we've learned from first day of F1's Abu Dhabi GP
Dec 4, 2025
The Race

Antonelli reveals Verstappen message after online abuse: "He saw what happened, he wasn't bothered by anything [he saw]," said Antonelli of Verstappen. "He even, like, showed support, so, really-really nice from him. He just said... I cannot really say what he said because it contained some bad words, the message, but it just said 'don't worry about these kind of people, because they're brainless...just focus on the job'." - Valentin Khorounzhiy

McLaren's big team order admission: A perfect weekend for Norris will make it unnecessary, but McLaren has to have those tough conversations with its drivers pre-race in the unlikely - but not impossible - event that team orders are the only thing that can stop Verstappen from stealing away the title. - Josh Suttill.

What rivals make of the title fight: "Abu Dhabi is a Lando track," Sainz said. "He's not lucky but I think he's...It's good for him that I think the final is in Abu Dhabi, which from my experience, being his team mate here, it's one of his best tracks at driving and the win he took last year in front of me still hurts.
Williams team-mate Alex Albon cited Norris's "really impressive" second half of the season, while Leclerc believes "if nothing big happens, it will be Lando".
Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto believes Max Verstappen "deserves the title", having proved he's one of the best drivers in the world this year.

‘Seven things we've learned’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/s...-abu-dhabi-gp/


Charles Leclerc names Ferrari wish to avoid 'quite depressing' F1 send-off
4 Dec 2025
Jake Nichol & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Charles Leclerc believes a podium in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix can avoid sending Ferrari into the F1 Christmas break on a "quite depressing" final two races. This is something Leclerc felt was "unrealistic" but that a podium was possible to ensure "happiness" heading into the winter.

"On the one hand, yes, but at the same time, I'm just looking forward to Abu Dhabi to try and finish the season on a more positive note," Leclerc told media when asked by RacingNews365 if he was glad 2025 was nearly over. I'm hoping to give us a little bit more happiness to go into the holidays because it would be quite depressing to go into the holidays after two weekends like [Qatar and Abu Dhabi.”

"That would be very bad, but I just want to get [Abu Dhabi] out of the way, but in a positive way. I just want to do absolutely everything in order to extract whatever is left in our car, and hopefully jump on the podium one last time this year. A win is quite unrealistic, but a podium, I really hope so, but to be honest, after a race [like Qatar], I have very little hope."

“Jump on the podium”;

https://racingnews365.com/charles-le...ng-f1-send-off


How did McLaren let the title race get this far?! | The F1 Show
Dec 2, 2025
Sky Sports F1

‘How did McLaren let the title race get this far…’;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YWIZT7RFPY


What time is F1's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix? Qualifying + race times
Dec 3, 2025
The Race

Abu Dhabi GP schedule (local time)
Abu Dhabi, part of the United Arab Emirates, is on Gulf Standard Time and is four hours ahead of GMT (UK time).
Friday December 5
FP1: 1.30pm
FP2: 5pm
Saturday December 6
FP3: 2.30pm
Qualifying: 6pm
Sunday December 7
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: 5pm
Abu Dhabi GP schedule (UK time)
Friday December 5
FP1: 9.30am
FP2: 1pm
Saturday December 6
FP3: 10.30am
Qualifying: 2pm
Sunday December 7
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: 1pm

‘All the times for this weekend's action’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...ng-race-times/

[Fortitude]

Lando Norris draws first blood in title fight against Max Verstappen in FP1 at 2025 Abu Dhabi GP.
Lando Norris draws the first blood of the weekend-deciding F1 title fight by edging Max Verstappen in FP1 at the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP, setting the tone for an intense finale between the championship’s contenders.
5 December 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Holding a 12-point advantage heading into Sunday, December 7, the McLaren driver delivered when it mattered with a 1:24.485 lap good enough to shade Red Bull’s defending champion by just 0.008. That could be key establishing an early psychological edge at Yas Marina on Friday, as the pair look to contend for the Formula 1 title in the United Arab Emirates, whilst Oscar Piastri could only watch on.

The Australian sat out the opening hour as part of his mandated rookie handover, leaving Pato O’Ward to step into the McLaren leaving Charles Leclerc to slot into third, only 0.016s adrift, whilst Kimi Antonelli continued his fine recent form with a strong fourth.

With 15 minutes left, Norris delivered what proved the session’s benchmark whilst Leclerc maintained third for Ferrari despite a hefty spin that led to some fraternal banter from his brother, Arthur. At the same time, Verstappen radioed concerns that there “might be something broken” and said the problem was “everywhere,” on his car, prompting concern from his fans around the world – although he continued circulating.

‘First blood’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/lan...-abu-dhabi-gp/


2025 F1 Abu Dhabi GP – Free Practice 1 Results
5 December 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Pos. Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Lando Norris McLaren 1:24.485
2. Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.008
3. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.016
4. Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.123
5. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber +0.144
6. George Russell Mercedes +0.248
7. Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber +0.257
8. Oliver Bearman Haas +0.274
9. Carlos Sainz Williams +0.286
10. Franco Colapinto Alpine +0.370

‘Free Practice 1’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...ice-1-results/


Max second fastest in Abu Dhabi FP1
5 December 2025
Stefan Meens
Verstappen.nl

Max Verstappen set the second fastest time in the first practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Oracle Red Bull Racing driver was only 0.008s slower than pace setter Lando Norris (McLaren). Charles Leclerc completed the top three.

As the session gets underway, Max heads out on the hard Pirelli tyres and is immediately on the pace. Only Lando Norris is quicker in the first half of the session, but the McLaren has set his time on the medium compound.

At the halfway point, Max switches from the hards, straight to the softs and goes quickest (1:24.493). Again, only Norris is able to lap the Yas Marina circuit quicker than the Dutchman and does so by 0.008s.

‘Max second fastest’;

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6041/


F1 – Norris tops FP1in Abu Dhabi ahead of Verstappen as title showdown gets underway
05.12.25
FIA (Press Release)

It was Verstappen who set the early pace in the session with a 1:27.130s on the Hard tyre, 0.038s ahead of George Russell on the same compound. There was a variety of compounds on display, however, and Medium-shod Norris took his turn at the top as the opening half hours saw a number of drivers have a moment in P1, including Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar who will replace Tsunoda at Red Bull Racing in 2026.

The field then began to move to the C5 Soft compound tyres for performance running and Verstappen once again made his way to P1 with a lap of 1:24.493s, two hundredths of a second ahead of Norris and almost a tenth ahead of third-placed Ferrari regular Charles Leclerc. Norris and Verstappen then traded best times before Norris eventually cemented himself into P1 with a lap of 1:24.485s that left him 0.008s clear of his championship rival. Leclerc completed the top three with a lap 1:24.501s, 0.016s behind Norris.

‘Norris tops FP1in’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-norris-t...-gets-underway


Zak Brown makes 'crazy' decision over McLaren F1 team orders at Abu Dhabi GP
Both McLaren drivers enter the Abu Dhabi F1 race weekend with a chance of winning the drivers' championship.
5 December 2025
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365

Speaking to Sky F1 in Abu Dhabi, Brown highlighted it will implement team orders if it becomes clear during the race that one driver is clearly holding the upper hand. “Yes, of course,” he said. “We're realistic. We want to win this drivers' championship. We're coming into the weekend knowing that they both have equal opportunity, even though there's obviously a point spread.”

"You don't know how qualifying is going to go, reliability, but if we get into the race and it's becoming pretty clear that one has a chance and the other doesn't, we're going to do what we can to win the drivers' championship. It would be crazy not to.”

"We want to win the drivers' championship. So, we'll kind of see how the race plays out, but we're not going to not win the championship because we're trying to protect a third and a fourth or a sixth and a seventh, or however the situation may play out."

‘Zak Brown makes 'crazy' decision’;

https://racingnews365.com/zak-brown-...t-abu-dhabi-gp


Abu Dhabi GP: Norris edges Verstappen in opening practice
05/12/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Lando Norris opened the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend in commanding fashion, topping the first practice session at Yas Marina on the cusp of becoming Formula 1 world champion. The McLaren driver clocked a 1m24.485s on soft tyres, edging championship rival Max Verstappen by just 0.008s while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed the top three, just 0.016s adrift.

Norris arrives in Abu Dhabi 12 points clear of Verstappen and 16 ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri. A podium on Sunday would seal his maiden title regardless of what Verstappen achieves. Piastri, however, played no part in FP1 due to regulations requiring teams to hand their car to a rookie in at least two Friday sessions. His seat went to IndyCar star Pato O’Ward, one of nine rookies in action on a hot and clear afternoon in the UAE.

With the season finale underway, cars flooded the track early. Verstappen set the first meaningful benchmark – a 1m27.130s on hard tyres – narrowly ahead of George Russell. Not everyone ran the same programme, with O’Ward immediately on softs and Norris on mediums, prompting a mixed early order shaped by rapid track evolution.

‘Commanding fashion’;

https://f1i.com/news/555415-abu-dhab...-practice.html

[Fortitude]

Lando Norris tops Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FP2 with Oscar Piastri out of the top 10.
Title leader Lando Norris topped the timings for the first practice session on Friday, just two hundredths of a second ahead of the other championship rival, Max Verstappen.
5 December 2025
Rebecca Braybrook
F1 Oversteer

Lando Norris was the fastest in FP2 as Oscar Piastri struggled to put a fast soft tyre lap together during McLaren’s qualifying practice runs. The second practice is the most representative session for qualifying and race pace, with conditions similar to those that will be seen in the later weekend sessions, making it incredibly important for drivers and teams.

Early in FP2, Verstappen was noted for impeding Norris at Turn 1, after Red Bull appeared unsure if the Brit was starting a flying lap. Norris sounded unimpressed on the radio, asking, “what is this guy doing?”, although stewards were quick to decide there would be no further action for the incident. Verstappen was the first championship driver to bolt on the soft tyres, with the Dutchman setting a strong time of 1:23.446, which was two tenths of a second ahead of Isack Hadjar.

McLaren then brought their drivers in to begin qualifying practice runs, with Norris clinching the top time from Verstappen by three tenths. Piastri went for a second flying lap on his soft tyres after a difficult first run; however, the Aussie saw a big lock-up at Turn 6, which kept him in 10th place. The title contender had made improvements in sectors one and three compared to his McLaren teammate, but appeared not to have the same straight-line speed as Norris.

‘Lando Norris was the fastest in FP2’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lan...of-the-top-10/


2025 F1 Abu Dhabi GP – Free Practice 2 Results
5 December 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Red Bull faces a crucial night of setup work, while Piastri continues to adapt, aiming to support Norris in a title-deciding weekend.
Pos. Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Lando Norris McLaren 1:23.083
2. Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.363
3. George Russell Mercedes +0.379
4. Oliver Bearman Haas +0.418
5. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber +0.467
6. Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber +0.487
7. Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.574
8. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.575
9. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.625
10. Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.667

‘Free Practice 2 Results’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...ice-2-results/


Lando Norris ‘almost crashed’ with Max Verstappen as Abu Dhabi GP team radio emerges
5 Dec 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

McLaren driver Lando Norris was heard claiming over team radio that he “almost crashed” into Max Verstappen after a minor impeding incident in FP2 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Verstappen slowed on the main straight after completing a timed lap with his Red Bull race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, initially informing him that Norris was not on a push lap behind. Lambiase told Verstappen: “You’ve got Norris… not opening a lap behind you.” However, Lambiase then realised that Norris actually was on a fast lap, adding: “Or maybe he is… coming through.”

The confusion left Verstappen with little time to react to the fast-approaching McLaren, with the Red Bull jinking to the left of the track on the exit of Turn 1. Norris was less than impressed by the incident, claiming over team radio that the pair nearly made contact. The McLaren driver was heard saying: “What’s this guy doing? Almost crashed.” The incident was briefly noted by Race Control, with the FIA stewards taking no further action.

‘The confusion’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lando-...-prix-2025-fp2


Abu Dhabi GP: Norris stamps his authority in FP2 as a lock up costs Piastri
05 Dec 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Lando Norris made a perfect start to the Abu Dhabi title decider as he finished Friday’s practices comfortably quickest by three-tenths ahead of Max Verstappen. On the other side of the McLaren garage, Oscar Piastri was off the pace a mistake at Turn 6 cost the Australian and left him down in 11th place.

As the sun set over the Yas Marina circuit, the track temperature dropped ahead of FP2 with conditions more in line with what the drivers will experience in qualifying and the grand prix. The first of the frontrunners to swap to the soft Pirellis, Verstappen went quickest with a 1:23.446 ahead of Nico Hulkenberg. Carlos Sainz complained about a “weird snap Turn 2”, and Bearman wasn’t happy about an “unsafe release from a Sauber”.

Norris hit the front midway through the session with a 1:23.083, three-tenths on Verstappen with Russell third. Piastri was down in 10th place. He had a huge lock-up into Turn 6 on his second flying lap.

‘Stamps his authority’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/abu-dh...025-fp2-report


Is Oscar Piastri feeling the pressure at 2025 Abu Dhabi GP? F1 title contender weighs in
Piastri is 16 points off the championship lead at the Yas Marina Circuit.
5 December 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Oscar Piastri says he is not feeling the pressure at the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP due to his experience in previous motorsport title battles, and the limited odds of him winning anyway. “I’ve been on the opposite side of the championship battle in the junior categories,” Piastri told media, including Total-Motorsport.com. “And I know what that felt and it was pretty tough.

“So, coming into it from the least to lose out of us three is quite different for me. And I think off the back of Qatar, I’ve got a lot of confidence that I can perform well. Obviously, I need a fair few things to happen this weekend to come out champion, but I’ll just make sure I’m in the right place at the right time and see what happens.”

Piastri knows it isn’t over until it’s over, and his tall order in the F3 campaign proves that he can still win the title, even from what seems to be an unthinkable position. “So yeah, obviously it would be a very cool achievement. But I’m not getting my hopes up too high. We’ll see what happens. And yeah, if I can achieve it, then I’ll be a pretty happy guy.”

‘Oscar Piastri says he is not feeling the pressure’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/is-...der-weighs-in/


Max Verstappen sceptical of Red Bull pace at F1 Abu Dhabi GP
5 December 2025
Motorsport Week

Max Verstappen appeared sceptical of Red Bull’s pace ahead of this weekend’s Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will decide the Drivers’ title. Speaking after practice, Verstappen told Sky Sports F1 that the RB21 is responding relatively well to him, but not enough to envisage a likelihood of challenging the McLarens.

“[The car was] Pretty okay, I mean I was fairly happy with the car, we just need to be probably a little bit faster,” he said. “I think, yeah, still not quick enough, but I think overall we’ve been in a, for us, I think in a decent window around here.”

“Seems like it’s a decent gap that we need to close, but from our side we’ll just try to put the best car forward, and yeah, let’s see how much we can find overnight,” he added. Verstappen concluded that the “single lap and long run needs to be better” if he is to be left feeling happy about his chances.

‘Sceptical of Red Bull’s pace’;

https://f1i.com/news/555439-abu-dhab...erstappen.html


Lando Norris has ‘nothing to smile about just yet’ despite ominous Abu Dhabi GP pace
05 Dec 2025
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

McLaren driver Lando Norris has warned there’s “nothing to smile about just yet” despite topping both Friday practice sessions at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Asked about how the car feels, Norris took time to respond, taking a breath before replying: “Obviously from the times and everything, things are good at the minute, but I still want a bit more from the car.”

“We’re a bit in the middle of trying some different things and then trying to understand some things with the car, so hopefully some more stuff we can get out of it overnight. But it’s not been a bad day, for sure. It’s been a positive day, but we always know it gets a lot closer going into quali, so nothing to smile about just yet.”

‘Norris took time to respond, taking a breath before replying’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lando-...x-fp2-reaction