Max Verstappen will start from pole for the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, lining up ahead of championship leader Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in what will be a three-way fight for the world title. Verstappen delivered a superb 1:22.207 lap to secure pole, continuing his late-season momentum, but the championship situation still favours Norris.
Norris leads Verstappen by 12 points and Piastri by 16. He will be world champion if he finishes ahead of both rivals or takes third place or better. Verstappen needs to win and hope Norris finishes outside the top three, while Piastri requires victory and for Norris to finish sixth or lower. McLaren have confirmed team orders could be used if necessary.
Qualifying set up a tense showdown, with all three drivers close on pace and the opening laps expected to be crucial. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton’s difficult season continued as he qualified only 16th after an earlier practice crash.
The stakes are clear: Verstappen starts at the front, but the title remains firmly in Norris’s hands.
