‘It should be very tight’ – F1 drivers offer views on three-way Abu Dhabi Grand Prix title showdown

Leading Formula 1 drivers have offered their views and opinions on who they believe will claim the 2025 Drivers' Championship, with a three-way fight between Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri set to take place at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Norris holds a 12-point lead heading into Sunday's race, with third place guaranteeing him a maiden F1 title regardless of where Verstappen and Piastri finish.

The Yas Marina Circuit is also a venue where the McLaren driver won 12 months ago, with several drivers including Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Isack Hadjar all believing the Briton will succeed in his quest this weekend.

"I don’t know, I changed my mind so many times this year. I probably think it’s going to be Lando if nothing big happens to him," said Leclerc on Thursday.

But while Norris holds the points advantage and has the most to lose, momentum is with Verstappen, the Red Bull driver having taken five wins from the previous eight Grands Prix, including back-to-back successes in Las Vegas and Qatar.

With four titles under his belt, the Dutchman is no stranger to championship deciders, with seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton believing "part of it is mental strength".

"Part of it is the unity of a team and the output, because it's not just one person doing the the job this weekend," added Hamilton.

"It's a collective. Max has a mega team, and so does McLaren. It should be very tight."

Piastri trails Norris by 16 points and is an outsider for the title, but Abu Dhabi has notably produced climatic title showdowns, with Sebastian Vettel securing his maiden crown in 2010 despite trailing team mate Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso in the points.

"I think there are some similarities, for sure," said Alonso when asked to compare his 2010 title bid with the current season.

"For your interest, in 2010 the best car won. I think the biggest question you all have is who is the favourite, who is going to win on Sunday?

"Who knows? This is F1, anything can happen, as we saw last week [in Qatar]. When you have the best car it always helps, and I think McLaren, they have the best car and they have two of the three [drivers]. They should win in a normal race."

A late Safety Car in the 2021 edition gave Verstappen the chance to claim his maiden title, while a Safety Car at the previous race in Qatar and a strategic error by McLaren again opened the door for Verstappen.

Williams' Carlos Sainz is hopeful for a clean race in the title-decider, with pure pace deciding the outcome.

"I only wish them the best, I wish the best one to win," he said.

"My preference is no luck involved, so no Safety Cars or red flags at the wrong time for any of them, because that will feel for sure heartbreaking as a driver.

"I just want a clean weekend and just let the best guy win. I think obviously Lando is favourite going into it because he needs the top three and it's a good track for McLaren and him."