The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is just around the corner! This final race promises to go down in history as one of the most thrilling ever; three drivers are still in contention for the world title during the season finale. Reigning champion Max Verstappen will face off against World Championship leader Lando Norris and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri at Yas Marina. Before we get to that, let’s look back at previous season finales in Abu Dhabi: the championship has been decided here four times before!
This coming weekend will determine who will be crowned this season’s Formula 1 champion. World Championship leader Lando Norris has long been in the shadow of Max Verstappen, but this year – thanks in part to his highly competitive MCL39 – he has finally been able to make a bid for the title. Teammate Oscar Piastri was his surprising challenger; the Australian has made significant progress since his debut in 2023 and led the standings for a long time. Verstappen made up a lot of points in the second half of the season and began his pursuit of his fifth consecutive title. The current standings are as follows: Norris leads with 408 points, followed by Verstappen and Piastri with 396 and 392 points respectively. One of them will be crowned champion in Abu Dhabi, but which title fights preceded this one?
Abu Dhabi 2010: Vettel Outperforms Three Challengers
In the run-up to the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, no fewer than four drivers were in contention for the championship. Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Fernando Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton were all still in the race. Two-time champion Alonso led the standings and was the favorite for a new title. From pole position, young Vettel could only hope that his rivals, including the Spaniard, would not finish too high.
However, early incidents – including a spin by Michael Schumacher and the subsequent collision with Tonio Liuzzi – led to a safety car. Alonso and Webber, Vettel’s main challengers, came in for new tires but ended up behind Vitaly Petrov’s Renault. The Russian made himself wide, and due to the limited overtaking opportunities at Yas Marina, both title candidates were forced into mistakes. Alonso and Webber eventually crossed the line in seventh and eighth place, while Vettel crowned himself the youngest world champion ever at the last minute.
Abu Dhabi 2014: Hamilton Triumphs Over Rosberg
In 2014, the championship was once again decided in Abu Dhabi. World Championship leader Lewis Hamilton was back in the running. After an extremely dominant season from Mercedes, he only had to beat his teammate, Nico Rosberg; the difference between them was 17 points. To make the climax even more thrilling, double points were awarded for this race. This decision led to criticism from the paddock, but it gave Rosberg a greater chance at the title.
The German started from pole position, with Hamilton hot on his heels. The Brit, in pursuit of his second world title, kept his cool in the desert and managed to overtake his teammate in the first corner. He steadily extended his lead and never relinquished control. Meanwhile, Rosberg, whose W05 was plagued with multiple technical issues, fell far behind. He finished without scoring any points in fourteenth place, but refused – despite his race engineer’s insistence – to prematurely end the race.
(Text continues below)
Abu Dhabi 2016: Rosberg Strikes Back
The Silver War reached its climax in 2016. After bitter battles in previous years, the relationship between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg had completely cooled. However, the latter had the opportunity to redeem himself once and for all during the final act in Abu Dhabi. The German needed only a podium finish to secure his first title; his teammate, much like Max Verstappen now, was trailing by twelve World Championship points.
Hamilton drove a flawless race from pole position, but Rosberg was hot on his heels. The Brit, starting from the first position, couldn’t force anything and had to hope for a miracle to outdo his teammate again. That miracle didn’t happen. Rosberg crossed the finish line in second place, more than enough to secure his first and only World Championship. Not long after, he promptly retired from Formula 1.
Abu Dhabi 2021: Verstappen Makes History
In a thrilling showdown between Max Verstappen and Hamilton, we witnessed one of the best season finales in modern Formula 1 history! After years of dominance by the seven-time world champion, the young Dutchman managed to outshine Hamilton in 2021. Following a riveting season, both contenders entered the final race in Abu Dhabi with an equal number of points. The Red Bull driver started from pole position, but was overtaken by his title rival in the first lap. Hamilton steadily increased his lead and seemed on track to secure his coveted eighth title.
However, true to the dramatic nature of the 2021 season, the battle was only decided in the very last lap. After a late safety car, the lights at Yas Marina turned green with just one lap to go. Race director Michael Masi also decided to let some lapped drivers through, leading to a decisive shoot-out between Verstappen and Hamilton. With fresher tyres, the then 24-year-old driver coolly overtook his rival and claimed the world title – the first Dutchman ever to do so.
