Verstappen brings momentum to a high-stakes Abu Dhabi decider

December 2, 2025 Oliver Obel

Qatar delivered the kind of swing that can reshape a title battle. When an early safety car sent most of the field into the pits, McLaren stayed out, a choice that allowed Verstappen to take control once racing resumed.

Piastri finished second and Norris managed fourth, tightening the standings far more than anticipated and framing the last race as a true showdown.

After the race, Verstappen sounded calm about the stakes, acknowledging how unlikely this situation once seemed.

“I’m excited, I’m happy to go there and have a go at it,” he said.

He added that his comeback has changed his outlook. “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.”

How Red Bull found its form again

Verstappen’s momentum began building long before Qatar. As The Guardian reported, Red Bull introduced a major upgrade package at Monza that corrected the balance inconsistencies which had made the car unpredictable through the early rounds.

The improved stability restored the front-end feel he depends on, helping him collect five victories and three more podiums in the late stretch of the season.

He credited not only the upgrades but the strength of the team behind him. Verstappen pointed to the long-standing understanding he shares with race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase and the efficiency of the wider crew.

“We’ve won races where maybe we shouldn’t have, like Sunday, by making the right call as a team,” he said, noting how communication often fills the gap when they lack outright pace.

McLaren under growing pressure

Norris still holds the clearest championship path. Finishing ahead of Verstappen and Piastri, or simply securing third place or better, would clinch his first world title. But McLaren has created challenges for itself.

The disqualification of both cars in Las Vegas for excessive plank wear, a development highlighted in The Guardian’s reporting, handed Verstappen a large points swing and revived a fight that once looked settled.

Piastri remains in the hunt, though his route is narrow. He must win in Abu Dhabi and hope Norris finishes sixth or lower. The scenario brings unusual tension inside a team that has spent most of the year celebrating its resurgence.

A finale with familiar echoes

Abu Dhabi has settled championships before, and the memory of Verstappen’s dramatic first title in 2021 still lingers. That race ended in controversy after a late safety-car call the FIA later described as human error.

The situation this season is far different. Verstappen arrives not as the defending champion under pressure, but as the late challenger with momentum on his side.

Few predicted the season would close with three drivers separated by such a slim margin. Yet the combination of upgrades, strategic swings and Verstappen’s renewed confidence has transformed the landscape, setting up a decisive final chapter at Yas Marina for a title that only recently seemed out of reach.

Sources: The Guardian