The Formula 1 season has come to a close! Lando Norris has crowned himself world champion for the first time during the final act in Abu Dhabi. With a third-place finish, behind race winner Max Verstappen and teammate Oscar Piastri, he maintained a lead of just two points and decided the championship. The international media congratulate the 26-year-old Norris on his first title, but are equally praiseworthy of Verstappen, who is also worthy of the championship.
At the Spanish Marca, they don’t beat around the bush. “Everyone knows that Max is the best driver at the moment,” wrote the journalist on duty after the GP of Abu Dhabi. “Life and sport teach us that the most talented and determined individuals do not always come out on top. That’s what makes it a sport and that’s why millions of fans keep watching. We saw that in the Formula 1 season of 2025.”
The report focused on the remarkable rise of Verstappen, who particularly in the second half of the season gave Norris a run for his money. “Max owes his success to the comeback in the Netherlands and his ability to keep winning. He proved that again in Abu Dhabi, with two magical days. He dominated both the qualification and the race, gave everything he had. He is a great champion. Not a five-time champion, but so much more.”
British press naturally focused a lot on Norris, the eleventh world champion from the United Kingdom. However, there were also compliments for the Dutchman. “Charles Leclerc performed excellently by extending the battle to the last moment,” reported The Guardian. “With a victory in Abu Dhabi, he did everything he could, but after making up a deficit of 104 points, he fell just short of catching up with Norris. Verstappen, however, was not disappointed. He felt that he and his team had given their all until the end.”
‘Comeback for the Ages’
“Winning the final race as a conclusion to his impressive comeback was not enough for Max Verstappen,” wrote La Gazzetta dello Sport. The Italian newspaper noted that Charles Leclerc could have changed the outcome of the title fight, but the Monegasque ultimately posed no threat. According to the Italians, with his fourth place, Leclerc has ‘worthily concluded a difficult Ferrari year.’ “Norris, who crosses the finish line third, celebrates a historic title with the ecstatic McLaren pit wall,” the report continued. “Meanwhile, Verstappen gives a thank you speech over the radio for a comeback for the ages.”
Finally, L’Équipe also praised Verstappen, who did everything he could to deny Norris the title. “He won convincingly and accomplished his part of the mission,” said the French. However, the Dutchman could not keep his British rival off the podium and had to concede two points to the new world champion after 24 Grands Prix. “Norris, who was already leading the standings, kept his cool. Verstappen can blame himself little about the season and absolutely nothing about this last Grand Prix. He can be proud that he ended the season with more victories than Norris and Piastri. That was not enough, but the rest was not in his hands on Sunday.”
