Abu Dhabi F1 driver ratings: Charles Leclerc the shining light for Ferrari in 2025

Lando Norris was crowned the 2025 F1 world champion at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

A third-place finish was enough for Norris to become McLaren's first F1 world champion since 2008.

Here’s how we rated each driver’s performance in Abu Dhabi...

Max Verstappen – 9.5

Max Verstappen continues to show why he’s among the true F1 greats. He delivered a perfect weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit, claiming his eighth victory of the year. Surprisingly, Verstappen decided not to back off and meddle with Norris’ race, opting to dominate from the front instead.

Oscar Piastri – 8.5

Another solid weekend from Oscar Piastri, who pulled off an impressive overtake on teammate Norris on Lap 1 at Turn 9. A long stint on the hards didn’t seem optimal, but it didn’t matter, as he out-raced his teammate in Abu Dhabi. Piastri will go into the winter break happier after two strong final races.

Lando Norris – 8

It would be unfair to criticise Norris too much for coming away with the necessary result in Abu Dhabi. Heading into the weekend, Norris knew that third would be enough to win the title. He looked nervous in the early part of the race, coming under threat from Charles Leclerc behind. However, in traffic, Norris kept his cool and pulled off overtakes when he needed to.

Charles Leclerc – 9.5

Quite possibly the star of the weekend. Given how difficult the SF-25 looked to drive, Leclerc extracted the maximum from it in qualifying, securing fifth on the grid. Another lightning start put him ahead of George Russell as he hunted down Norris for a podium place. Inevitably, Ferrari’s charge faltered as the race progressed, but still, a very strong weekend for Leclerc.

George Russell – 7.5

An underwhelming final race for Russell and Mercedes. Another sluggish start, where he lost out to Leclerc again, put him on the back foot. Mercedes’ race pace was disappointing, ultimately finishing in no man’s land. Overall, an impressive year for Russell.

Fernando Alonso – 9.5

Fernando Alonso is like fine wine. He continues to perform at an incredibly high level, producing a stunning qualifying lap to secure sixth on the grid. He backed it up with a top-six finish in the grand prix.

Esteban Ocon – 9

After a tough run of form, Esteban Ocon ended his 2025 year on a high. Q3 and a points finish — you can’t ask for much more.

Lewis Hamilton – 6

Lewis Hamilton’s nightmare season with Ferrari continued in Abu Dhabi as he failed to make it out of Q1 for the third consecutive weekend. A fast start on the softs set him up for a decent race, but it was still nowhere near the level expected from a driver of Hamilton’s calibre.

Nico Hulkenberg – 7.5

Nico Hulkenberg made up for a poor qualifying display to end the year with a points finish. Like Hamilton, an aggressive strategy, having started on the softs, paid off.

Lance Stroll – 6.5

Lance Stroll produced a stunning late overtake on Ollie Bearman at Turn 9 to finish ninth. A good race recovery after a tough run of form for Stroll in recent months.

Ollie Bearman – 6

A rare off weekend for Bearman, who was outshone by veteran teammate Ocon across the Abu Dhabi weekend. Still, it’s been a very impressive rookie season for Bearman, who looks destined for Ferrari in the future.

Gabriel Bortoleto – 6.5

After starring in qualifying, Gabriel Bortoleto was gutted not to come away with a points finish in Abu Dhabi. Bortoleto rued “bouncing” early on as Sauber elected to put him on a one-stop strategy.

Carlos Sainz – 7

Carlos Sainz’s strong end to the 2025 F1 season continued in Abu Dhabi. While he didn’t come away with a top-10 finish, he had Alex Albon at arm’s length once again.

Yuki Tsunoda – 5.5

Red Bull’s decision to drop Yuki Tsunoda for 2026 is perfectly justified based on his display in Abu Dhabi. His pace was poor and his defence against Norris was weak. Had Tsunoda backed Norris up in the final sector against Leclerc, perhaps it would have been a more nervy race for the McLaren driver.

Kimi Antonelli – 5

A forgettable weekend for Kimi Antonelli. No points and no pace for the Italian, who spent most of the race towards the back of the field.

Alex Albon – 5.5

Albon’s nightmare end to the 2025 campaign continued in Abu Dhabi. Knocked out in Q1, he struggled to make much progress in the race. It didn’t matter too much, given Williams’ lack of pace.

Isack Hadjar – 6.5

Despite starting inside the top 10, neither Racing Bulls driver had the pace to run with the likes of Aston Martin or Haas. RB had the ninth-fastest car on race day in Abu Dhabi.

Liam Lawson – 5.5

Liam Lawson was out-qualified by Isack Hadjar yet again. In the race, he was handed a five-second time penalty for erratic driving.

Pierre Gasly – 6.5

An anonymous weekend for Alpine, which had the slowest car on the grid again. Pierre Gasly edged out teammate Franco Colapinto.

Franco Colapinto – 6

With Alpine having the slowest car on the grid, there wasn’t much Colapinto could do in Abu Dhabi. He was slightly off Gasly’s pace.