All attention, of course, will be focused on the fight for the world championship title, which can be won by three pilots: Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastre.
But apart from them, all the final positions in the personal standings and in the Constructors’ Cup will be determined.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix schedule:
The results will be added after the completion of the respective race
Friday, December 5:
- Free practice 1: 12:30 p.m. RESULTS
- Free practice 2: 16:00. RESULTS
Saturday, December 6:
- Free practice 3: 1:30 p.m. RESULTS
- Qualification: 17:00. RESULTS
Sunday, December 7:
- Race: 4:00 p.m. RESULTS
Features of the track:
Length: 5,281 km
Number of circles: 55
One DRS zone:
Race lap record: Kevin Magnussen (2024, Haas) – 1:25.637
Lap record in qualifying: Lando Norris (2024, McLaren) – 1:22.595
Weather forecast
During the final stage of the Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi, the teams expect stable hot conditions without precipitation. Temperatures will be 26-27°C for the first two practice sessions on Friday, with sunny weather and no wind ensuring calm sessions. FP2, which will take place under artificial lighting, will be held in cooler and more representative conditions for qualifying and the race.
Temperatures will rise to 28°C during FP3 on Saturday and will feel like around 31°C. In the evening, during qualifying, it will be cooler – around 25°C, humidity will increase, but the weather will remain stable, which will allow the fight for pole without weather factors.
On Sunday, the race starts at 5:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. Kyiv time) during daylight hours, gradually moving into dusk. The starting temperature will be around 27°C and will drop to 25°C as the sun sets. No precipitation is forecast, and humidity will hover around the 60% mark.
The only variable could be the wind, with gusts of around 10 mph early in the race. This may affect the stability of the cars in the braking zones, but overall the weather conditions will be favorable throughout the weekend.
Strategy and tires per stage
This year, like last year, the C3 (hard), C4 (medium) and C5 (soft) sets will be presented. Last year this meant mostly one pit stop, as the track in Abu Dhabi did not wear rubber much, and overtaking at the Yas Marina Circuit was quite difficult. Given the teams’ progress in tire management, it’s likely that the same strategy will be repeated this time around, unless the safety car plays a role.
The main intrigues of the stage:
– Who will become the world champion of the 2025 season?
Of course, this is the main question not only of this stage, but also of the whole season. The most dramatic outcome of the championship since 2021 awaits us. Three pilots can win the trophy at once, and for two of them it can be the first, and possibly the last in their careers. Max Verstappen, in turn, has a chance to repeat Michael Schumacher’s record – five championships in a row. No one has managed to do this before, and it is unlikely that anyone will be able to repeat this in the near future.
Lando Norris leads the standings with 408 points before the start of the stage. Max Verstappen is second, 12 points behind, and Oscar Piastre is third, 4 more (–16 from Norris).
If Verstappen wins, Landau will secure the title by finishing third or higher. If Piastri wins, fifth position will be enough for Norris for the championship. If no one manages to overtake Norris, as was the case last year, the title is guaranteed to go to him.
– Hamilton vs. Antonelli
Andrea became the one to replace the titular Briton in the Mercedes team and throughout the year looked more convincing than Lewis, except for the summer slump. Kimi had three podium finishes for the season at the end of the Qatar Grand Prix, two of which were consecutive, and in Qatar he once again overtook his team-mate Russell.
Now for Antonella, a rather fundamental moment in the standings has come. He is two points behind Hamilton, with 150 to his 152, and could overtake him at the end of the season. To do this, he needs to finish ahead of the Ferrari driver and no lower than ninth place.
– The final of the constructors’ cup battle
Two key intrigues remain: the fight for the vice-championship between Mercedes and Red Bull, as well as the battle for the top 6, in which four teams participate at the same time.
Red Bull’s chances for second place are illusory, but still mathematically possible. In order to overtake Mercedes, the Bulls need to score 33 more points than the Silver Arrows. In real terms, it looks like a double podium (both drivers second or higher), or a win for one driver and a sixth or higher for the other, all assuming Mercedes don’t score a single point.
There are many more contenders in the fight for the sixth position in the Constructors’ Cup. It is claimed by Racing Bulls (92 points), Aston Martin (80), Haas (73) and Sauber (68). There are plenty of options, and virtually any of these teams could end the season in the right place, depending on the results in Abu Dhabi.
This struggle is of great importance precisely for the teams of the middle group. The final distribution of prize money can differ by tens of millions of dollars, which plays a critical role in the conditions of raising the budget limit from 135 to 215 million and a smaller number of sponsorship agreements with some teams.
Source: sport.ua