After a thrilling weekend of Formula One in Qatar, the championship fight will be decided at the very last race of the season, with three drivers still in contention heading into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

McLaren’s disastrous outing in Las Vegas — where both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were disqualified — blew the title race wide open. And after a crucial victory for Max Verstappen at the Lusail International Circuit, the standings tightened even further.

Norris finished fourth in Qatar, with teammate Piastri taking second behind Verstappen. Those results leave the Drivers’ Championship finely poised:

Lando Norris – 408 points

Max Verstappen – 396 points

Oscar Piastri – 392 points

With Verstappen chasing a fifth world title and both McLaren drivers aiming for their first, the tension is the highest it has been since the dramatic 2021 finale in Abu Dhabi.

Flashscore breaks down every title scenario ahead of the championship decider on Sunday, December 7 (14:00 CET).

How Lando Norris can win the World Drivers’ Championship

Norris enters the final round with a 12-point advantage over Verstappen and a 16-point buffer to Piastri.

The Briton becomes world champion automatically by finishing third or higher, regardless of his rivals’ results.

If Norris finishes fourth or fifth, he needs Verstappen to finish second or lower. Piastri’s result would no longer matter.

If Norris finishes sixth or seventh, he needs both Verstappen and Piastri to finish second or lower.

If Norris finishes eighth, he needs:

Piastri 2nd or lower, and

Verstappen 3rd or lower

If Norris finishes ninth, he needs:

Piastri 2nd or lower, and

Verstappen 4th or lower

If Norris finishes tenth or lower, he needs:

Piastri 3rd or lower, or

Verstappen 4th or lower

How Max Verstappen can win the World Drivers’ Championship

Verstappen sits 12 points behind Norris and four ahead of Piastri after his Qatar win.

The Dutchman clinches his fifth consecutive world title by winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and having Norris finish fourth or lower.

If Verstappen finishes second, he needs:

Piastri 3rd or lower, and

Norris 8th or lower

If Verstappen finishes third, he needs:

Piastri 2nd or lower, and

Norris 9th or lower

How Oscar Piastri can win the World Drivers’ Championship

Piastri trails Norris by 16 points and Verstappen by four after his strong second place in Qatar.

The Australian becomes world champion by winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and having Norris finish sixth or lower.

If Piastri finishes second, he needs:

Verstappen 4th or lower, and

Norris 10th or lower

What if the top two finish tied on points?

If two drivers end the season level on points, the title is decided by most race wins in 2025.
Currently, Norris, Verstappen, and Piastri all have seven wins, meaning the first tiebreaker would not separate them.

The next tiebreak is most second-place finishes.
Here, Norris cannot be beaten — he has eight runner-up results, compared to Verstappen’s six.

Although Verstappen and Piastri cannot mathematically finish tied as the top two, Norris would win any tiebreak against either driver if no one wins in Abu Dhabi and he still ends level on points.