With the final race promising intense competition, the 2025 Formula 1 season is approaching its dramatic conclusion. After a season of highs and lows, three drivers remain in contention for the Drivers’ Championship: Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Each driver enters the final race with a realistic chance of claiming the title, making the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix a pivotal showdown.

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Qatar brilliance from Verstappen

Verstappen delivered a commanding performance at the Qatar Grand Prix, strengthening his bid for a fifth championship. His victory in Losail was a masterclass in skill, consistency and strategy, perhaps once again proving his ability to dominate in Formula 1 in recent years.

Despite his achievements, Verstappen remains a polarising figure within the sport. While many fans and pundits recognise his talent, a vocal minority remains critical, often questioning his accomplishments and attributing his success primarily to his car’s performance.

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Verstappen’s Qatar masterclass

His performance in Qatar was notable not only for the victory, but also for the manner in which it was achieved. From the first lap to the last, he demonstrated a blend of precision driving, racecraft and mental fortitude. Alain Prost, the four-time Formula 1 world champion and a respected figure in motorsport, praised Verstappen’s performance, emphasising that it demonstrated pure talent.

“What Max achieved on Sunday night at Losail was a demonstration of pure talent,” Prost said. “He was perfect from the first lap to the last, in a car that clearly wasn’t the fastest on Saturday. He has worked incredibly hard to get there.”

Prost also expressed frustration at those who refuse to acknowledge Verstappen’s achievements, suggesting that their criticisms are driven more by bias than by an understanding of elite sport.

“It seems some prefer to destroy rather than recognise greatness,” he added.

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The debate over talent and bias

The ongoing debate surrounding Verstappen highlights a recurring theme in Formula 1: the difficulty of distinguishing driver skill from machinery. Critics often claim that Verstappen’s success is largely due to the superiority of his car. However, Prost argues that such criticism misses the essence of what makes a top-level athlete exceptional.

“When I hear people say that Max is arrogant, that he doesn’t deserve his titles or that he only wins because of his car, I think to myself that these people don’t understand top-level sport,” Prost stated.

“Talent, the will to win, the ability to surpass oneself when everything seems against you… Max has all of that. And he proved it once again in Qatar.”

This perspective highlights an important truth about elite motorsport: while machinery and strategy are important, especially in Formula 1 and motorsport in general, it is often the driver’s skill, focus, and resilience that decide victory when margins are razor-thin.

Verstappen’s ability to perform to the maximum of his ability under pressure, adapt to changing race conditions and perform consistently at the highest level cements his reputation as one of the sport’s leading talents.

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Looking ahead to the final race

With only one race left in the 2025 season, the championship battle is still wide open. For Verstappen, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix represents an opportunity not only to secure another championship, but also to silence his critics for good, and further establish his status as one of Formula 1’s most accomplished drivers ever.

Regardless of the outcome, the final race promises to deliver the drama and excitement, but can it be as dramatic as 2021? Let us know in the comments below.

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NEXT ARTICLE – McLaren U-Turn over Zak Brown’s stated principle in Abu Dhabi

For the best part of a year and a half, wander into the McLaren garage on a race weekend and the phrase ‘papaya rules’ is never far from anyone’s lips. The first reference to the team’s internal code of conduct for its drivers was made at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix.

There Andrea Stella use the term in a post qualifying interview stating: “Our recommendation is always racing with the papaya rules, whereby, when the car is papaya, like you are always careful with any other competitor, but if the car is papaya, you take even extra care.”

Yet almost before the world new the further details of McLaren’s driver code of contact, Oscar Piastri made risky move on the opening lap of the race to overtake his team mate who had claimed pole position.

 

The birth of ‘papaya rules’

The crucial part of the move meant Norris had to run wide to avoid Piastri and this let through Charles Leclerc who wet on to win the race. Suddenly, the papaya rule book began to grow to include the underlying principal, “the interests of the team come first.”

McLaren insist to the point of distraction that their drivers are free to race, so long as the operate under the code devised. By the team. Further, they have refused to instigate team orders to further one drivers’ championship claims over the others although instructions from the pit wall have been issued despite this claim.

The emphasis on being fair to both drivers has created some excruciating moments like in Monza this year, where Norris was leading his team mate but behind Verstappen who was ahead of the field.

Norris was entitled to the first pit stop, but relinquished this to ensure his team mate was not undercut by Charles Leclerc. A solid change of tyres for Piastri saw him keep the Ferrari rival behind…READ MORE ON THIS STORY