Lando Norris started on top with a win in Melbourne, while Oscar Piastri’s slippery off sent him to ninth at his home race. But the Aussie hit back fast — taking his first non-sprint pole and the win in China as Norris nursed brake trouble. Suzuka brought Max roaring back, winning again, with Norris second and birthday boy Piastri third.
Points: Norris 62, Verstappen 61, Piastri 49 (AFP Photo)
Oscar Piastri then quietly turned the title race into a three-way thriller. After skidding to ninth in a wet Melbourne, the Aussie roared back with poles and wins in China, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Miami — three of them in a row. Norris kept swinging, Verstappen kept chasing, but Piastri left Miami on top.
Points: Piastri 131, Norris 115, Verstappen 99 (AFP Photo)
Verstappen hit back in Imola, while McLaren dominance continued in Monaco, Spain and Montreal drama. After a chaotic opening stretch, the standings were tight and the rivalry white-hot.
Points: Piastri 198, Norris 176, Verstappen 155 (AFP Photo)
Verstappen’s surge was halted by crashes, penalties, and retirements through a rough stretch. Both McLaren drivers kept trading wins, and by the Netherlands round, Piastri’s seventh win and Norris’s DNF sealed the Aussie’s biggest lead yet in a roller-coaster championship.
Points: Piastri 309, Norris 275, Verstappen 205 (AFP Photo)
Verstappen rose from the ashes yet again — with flashes of old dominance in wins at Italy, Azerbaijan and the USA — and the three-way title race started picking up steam again.
Points: Piastri 346, Norris 332, Verstappen 306 (AFP Photo)
From Austria’s chaos to Brazil’s Antonelli clash, McLaren’s intra-team knife-edge defined the stretch. Lando Norris surged back into the lead with clutch late-season victories at both tracks. Max Verstappen stayed lurking with streak-saving podiums but was still just a smudge away from catching up to both McLarens.
Points: Norris 390, Piastri 366, Verstappen 341 (AFP Photo)
‘Mad Max’ Verstappen lurked and pounced when late chaos — penalties, crashes, reversals and a McLaren strategy blunder in Qatar — blew the title wide open as the Dutchman sealed back-to-back wins. Norris, Verstappen and Piastri were now separated by just 16 points with one final raceday left.
Points: Norris 408, Verstappen 396, Piastri 392 (AFP Photo)
It was heaven for Norris, hell for Piastri and heartbreak for Verstappen at the Yas Marina Circuit. Despite a heroic win at Abu Dhabi, the Dutchman fell just TWO points short of Norris’ total, bringing his era of dominance to an end as the Brit sealed his maiden F1 championship.
Points: Norris 423, Verstappen 421, Piastri 410 (AFP Photo)
With his win, Norris became just the 11th British driver (and 35th overall) to be crowned F1 world champion, after a season that will go down in the annals of history. (AFP Photo)
2026 will usher in a new era in F1 with new regulations, and Norris will, for the first time, be the hunted and not the hunter. (AFP Photo)
