With a competitive final four races ahead of us, 2025 has been the most competitive season we have seen following the Max Verstappen dominance of the past 3 seasons. Two of the final four race weekends ahead of us have sprint weekends, with so many points available to take; driver strategy and skill will be more pivotal every single weekend.
As we sign off on this era of regulations, the question remains: Who writes the final line of the current regulations’ era?
There are four drivers still in contention for the 2025 Driver World Champion. Lando Norris took the lead after a commanding performance at the Mexico City Grand Prix, gaining an eight-point advantage over his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri. Piastri, who had previously led the championship, had a difficult qualifying, which resulted in a P5 finish on Sunday at the cost of his lead in the WDC. Reigning four-time world champion Max Verstappen follows closely behind the two McLarens with only a 36-point difference to the lead. George Russell sits 99 points behind, still retains a mathematical chance.
São Paolo
07-09 November
We begin the final four with a circuit that has determined championships. This physically demanding circuit starts off with a narrow Turn One that leads downhill and swiftly into Turns 2 and 3. In total, this circuit is 4.309 km, with just 15 turns. The altitude and often rainy weather add to the complexity and the promise of an exciting race. Of the drivers in contention for the WDC, George Russell and Max Verstappen have won at this circuit.
Las Vegas
20-22 November
The newest of the final four circuits, the Las Vegas Grand Prix, will include a sprint race. Raced at night with cool temperatures, this circuit provides good racing in just two years. With only 17 turns, this track features two exciting straights, both occurring in sector 3, with two DRS zones and a 1.9 km straight. It is also worth noting that the past two winners of this race include Max Verstappen (2023) and George Russell (2024).The driver with the most overtakes at this street circut is Oscar Piastri.
Qatar
29-30 November
At the Qatar Grand Prix, we see our final sprint race weekend of the 2025 season. The circuit, originally built for motorcycles, features 16 turns and a length of 5.419 km. The intensity starts at a very narrow turn, one that requires heavy braking, so as is often the case, qualifying position in this race will be important. Previous winners of this race include Lewis Hamilton (2021) and Max Verstappen (2023, 2024). It is also worth noting that while most wins at this track start with a P1 grid posting during qualifying, Verstappen won this race from P2 in 2023.
Abu Dhabi
05-07 December
It is said that all roads lead to Abu Dhabi, and after the three-year-long Verstappen dominance, this statement has never been truer. The last time we saw a DWC win at his circuit was during 2021; the year ended 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton’s 5-year dominance and marked the beginning of Max Verstappen’s. This 5.28 km, track has shown us intense battles, notably Sergio Perez’s (Racing Point) 2019 self-described “best move of his career,” in which he overtook then-rookie driver Lando Norris (McLaren) on the final lap.
With so much to look forward to at each of these circuits, Formula One fans are eagerly awaiting the possibility of a new driver champion or a record-breaking number 5 for another.
