Max Verstappen gave his all in winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix thanks to a brilliant drive on Sunday, however fell two points short of claiming his fifth FIA Formula One World Championship title in a row as McLaren’s Lando Norris secured his maiden title after finishing in third place.
Dutchman Verstappen started on pole position and drove a measured, assured race to put all the pressure on Englishman Norris, who saw Australian teammate Oscar Piastri move past him early on with the three drivers finishing in that position after 58 laps.
Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda finished in 14th place in his last race for Oracle Red Bull Racing with his 2026 replacement Isack Hadjar ending in 17th place and his Visa Cash App RB teammate Liam Lawson in 18th.
“I’m very proud of the whole Team and the incredible turnaround that we had. We never gave up and always believed we could turn things around and never stopped trying. We could have very easily just given up, but we kept pushing, looking for improvements and always believed. This season has been a massive rollercoaster, with lots of tough moments and feelings, but I’m so proud of everyone and we have really come together as a Team. The turnaround in the second half of the season was incredible and pretty crazy that we could do that and we overcame a lot. Today has been a lot of fun, especially winning the race in such a dominant way. We had an incredible weekend and did everything as best as we could, so ultimately I feel good today. Although not winning a Championship by two points looks painful, going back to Zandvoort we were behind by over 100 points, so it is great what we have achieved. Of course, for Lando this is something very special and I hope he enjoys it a lot. The first Championship win is the most emotional one and it is something you dream of since you were a little kid. His family are here and I hope he enjoys tonight with his team. Finally, I wanted to thank the whole Team in the factory and on track: we never gave up and always believed. I am very proud of the people that I work with, they are my second family.”
1st Place | MAX VERSTAPPEN | Oracle Red Bull Racing
“I really tried my absolute best to score points today, and I think there could have been potential to do so, but the penalty made it tricky. We opted for a different strategy, and we were running well until the battle with Lando. I tried to hold him up, but he was pretty fast, and then I ended up with a frustrating penalty. Once I came out for the second stint, it was really challenging to pass. I can look back on this year knowing that I gave it everything until the end. There were lots of times this season where I lacked that bit of luck you sometimes need to make the difference, but that’s racing. A big congratulations to Lando – he has been superb all year and drove a solid race tonight to win his first title. Also, congratulations to Max for his victory and an amazing season. Between himself and the Team, they put together a brilliant effort to challenge until the very end and just missed out. He is the best driver on the grid, seeing him work and extract everything that he does is, just shows how good he is, and he has the mentality to go with it, it’s very inspiring to see. I’d like to say thank you to the engineers, mechanics, and the entire Team for this season, and I’ll still be around next season, so it’s not a proper goodbye.”
14th place | YUKI TSUNODA
“Firstly, congratulations to Lando and McLaren. They have been superb all year and have been our fiercest competitors this season, so a huge well-done to their whole team. It was so tight this year, and we put up a really great fight right to the end, finishing with a dominant display today. We didn’t expect to put in a performance like that around this track, so a big credit to the Team and to Max for getting the car into a position to do exactly that. Starting from pole, we knew the win could be in our hands, and Max was perfect from start to finish, with excellent tyre management to see us through. I’d also like to thank Yuki, who played the team game today, as he did last night, and we thank him for never giving up this season. We simply could not have done anything more. The dominant feeling is one of pride for this sensational turnaround. The effort that every single person in this Team, in the campus and on the race track, has put in is nothing short of incredible. We showed true racing spirit – the Red Bull spirit – right up to the very last lap.” Visa Cash App Racing Bulls ISACK HADJAR – 17th “It was a very tough Sunday. We haven’t had enough pace the whole weekend to fight for our usual positions, and yesterday it was a surprise for me to put the car in P9. We started in the points, but we knew it would have been difficult for us to maintain that place. Looking at the positives and reflecting on my first F1 season, it’s been a great journey and I’m proud of everyone within VCARB for everything we achieved together. It’s not the final race we wanted, but getting P6 in the Constructors’ Championship was our target and a great reward for all of us.”
LAURENT MEKIES | CEO & Team Principal
“Congratulations to the team on P6 in the Constructors’. While we struggled with our strategy and pace today, we’ve had a strong season and achieved our target this weekend. I’m excited to get back to work after the short winter break. Next year will be a big opportunity with the team which I’m very excited and grateful for.”
18th Place | LIAM LAWSON
“Today brings an end to a long season, but a really really great season for Racing Bulls. Sixth place in the Championship is amazing; we’ve only ever reached P6 once before, so it’s a huge achievement. It’s truly a testament to the commitment, passion and hard work within this team, both at the track and back at the factory. Each and every person can be really proud of themselves. There have been ups and downs all the way through and it really went down to the wire with Aston Martin, but I’m incredibly happy.”
ALAN PERMANE | Team Principal
