'Why Verstappen didn't slow down Norris for the 2025 title'

Norris claimed the title with 423 points, just two points ahead of Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. The British driver became the first champion for the McLaren outfit since the 2008 season with Lewis Hamilton.

His teammate, Oscar Piastri, finished third in the standings, 13 points behind on 410 points.

Norris needed only a podium finish to clinch his maiden title, and the third place he recorded at the Yas Marina race, combined with his well-executed race after qualifying second, proved just enough for him to claim the 2025 crown.

In our paddock update, we delve into how the McLaren driver fared in what remains the best season of his career so far.

We also analyse why the Red Bull Racing outfit and Verstappen opted against playing the strategic trick many had envisaged in the lead-up to the Grand Prix.

Unlike Lewis Hamilton did in 2016, Verstappen could not back up the McLaren drivers into the pack, something which McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, did not hold back in expressing how pleased he was with the decision.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix also saw Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, visibly emotional following the conclusion of the race weekend. Verstappen, on his part, also praised his race engineer during the post-race press conference.

Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko also has his future with the team up in the air, with the 82-year-old undecided about whether to continue at the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

This and much more we unpack in the latest edition of our paddock update from the Yas Marina Circuit.

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