THREE-WAY FIGHT: MAX VERSTAPPEN MUST WIN, OSCAR PIASTRI NEEDS BIG LANDO NORRIS DROP
F1 goes down to the wire! Norris leads Verstappen by 12 points. Analysis of what Norris (podium = win), Verstappen (must win), and Piastri (top two finish) need in Abu Dhabi.
The Qatar Grand Prix really mixed things up; now the 2025 world championship is a three-way fight.
After Max Verstappen's unexpected seventh win this season, he, Lando Norris of McLaren, and Oscar Piastri could all win the title at the Abu Dhabi finale next weekend.
Norris is in the lead with 408 points, 12 points ahead of Verstappen, and Piastri is 16 points behind his teammate.
With 25 points at stake in Abu Dhabi, what does each driver need to do to become an F1 world champion?
Norris's Path to Victory
Even though he had a disappointing fourth-place finish in Qatar, Norris is still in the best spot to win the title and his first world championship.
Basically, if Norris gets on the podium, he'll be the 11th world champion from Britain, no matter where the others end up.
If Norris finishes fourth, he wins the championship if Verstappen doesn't win. He also wins if he finishes within 12 points of Verstappen and 16 of Piastri.
If there's a tie, Norris wins because he can't be beaten in any tie-breaker.
The top three drivers each have seven wins this season, so the championship will be decided by who has the most second-place finishes. Norris has eight, Verstappen has five, and Piastri has four, so Norris would win.
Verstappen's Path to Victory
For Verstappen to win the title, he needs to win in Abu Dhabi and have Norris finish fourth or lower.
Even if he doesn't win, Verstappen needs to score at least 13 points more than Norris and not lose more than five points to Piastri to win his fifth world championship.
This year is the first since 2010 where more than two drivers are in contention for the world championship at the final race.
Back in 2010, Sebastian Vettel was the last driver to win the championship after not leading going into the final race.
Vettel was third heading to Abu Dhabi but overcame a 15-point deficit to win his first of four titles in a row.
Verstappen might look to Vettel for motivation as he tries to pull off an epic title comeback.
Piastri's Path to Victory
Piastri might be a bit down after McLaren missed out on a likely win in Qatar.
The Aussie needs to finish in the top two to have any shot at winning his first F1 world championship.
Even if he wins, Piastri needs his teammate Norris to finish sixth or lower. If Piastri finishes second, Norris needs to finish 10th or lower, and Verstappen can't finish higher than fourth.
That last situation would mean someone else, like a Mercedes or Ferrari driver, would need to win.
KIM KARDASHIAN AND LEWIS HAMILTON SPOTTED ON ROMANTIC EUROPEAN TOUR TOGETHER
Kim Kardashian and F1 star Lewis Hamilton are turning heads across Europe as insiders reveal Kim's "Russell Wilson" nickname.
Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton are the latest celebrity duo making waves, and apparently, Kim’s already got a cheeky nickname for him. The two have been spotted out together in the Cotswolds, London, and Paris, just enjoying themselves and turning a few heads in the process.
Word is, Kim’s close friends are spilling a few details about this new romance. One insider claims Lewis isn’t looking to settle down right now, but Kim still has a special name for him—she calls him “her Russell Wilson”. If you know the reference, it’s a nod to NFL star Russell Wilson, who married singer Ciara after her high-profile breakup with rapper Future. Friends say Kim thinks of Lewis as a “sophisticated upgrade” from her ex, Kanye West.
Kim and Kanye—now legally known as Ye—were married from 2014 to 2021 and share four kids. Their co-parenting relationship is famously complicated.
Kim’s reportedly a bit anxious about how Kanye will react to her new thing with Lewis, considering Kanye and Lewis were friends back in the day. One source told the Mail, “They’re both cautious about Kanye’s feelings since he and Lewis go way back. Kim’s living for herself these days, but she doesn’t want to poke the bear. They know this could set Kanye off, so they’re keeping it light and just having fun for now.”
Kim and Lewis first crossed paths years ago at GQ’s 2014 Men of the Year Awards. Back then, they both showed up with their now-exes—Kim was with Ye, and Lewis was with Nicole Scherzinger.
Kanye even had Lewis over for Easter one year. He talked about it: “Lewis Hamilton’s over at my house, and we’re playing some music in my studio. We’re having Easter brunch—my wife’s family, my friends, everyone’s there. And everybody’s like, ‘What is this music?’ and I’m like, ‘It’s Lewis Hamilton’s music.’”
Since splitting from Ye, Kim’s dated Pete Davidson and moved on. Kanye’s remarried, too—this time to Australian architect Bianca Censori.
Those two have been in the headlines a lot, usually for their wild fashion choices. Things got especially wild when Bianca showed up at the Grammy Awards in a see-through gown. She arrived in a black fur coat but ditched it to reveal a sheer dress that left little to the imagination. People at the event were definitely stunned.
FERRARI SF-26 COMPLETES 121 LAPS IN HISTORIC LEWIS HAMILTON-LECLERC BARCELONA DEBUT
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completed a "productive" 121-lap debut for the Ferrari SF-26 during 2026 testing in Barcelona.
Ferrari kicked off its on-track work for the 2026 Formula One season with a steady first day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc split driving duties in the team’s bold new car, and the whole thing felt like the start of a new chapter.
With the 2026 rules shaking up both the chassis and the power unit, Ferrari didn’t chase lap times. They zeroed in on checking systems, making sure their data lined up, and ironing out any reliability kinks. The weather threw a few curveballs—rain, some dry patches—but even so, they got through their plan and stacked up plenty of laps.
Leclerc seemed upbeat after his first taste of the new machine. He said it felt good to get back behind the wheel and start figuring out the car, even if the focus was just on systems and not raw speed. “We came here to understand how everything works,” he said. “With the weather mixed up, today was all about checks. We finished what we set out to do, and the car did what we expected. It’s a solid start and a decent base.”
Hamilton, now officially in Ferrari red, felt the same. For him, it was a busy day—lots of on-track time, plenty of new things to get used to—but he called it productive. “We got good mileage, learnt a lot, and didn’t hit any big issues. That’s what matters with so many changes coming in. This gives us a strong platform for the next few days.”
Ferrari’s Head of Track Engineering, Matteo Togninalli, stressed how important it was just to get through the day cleanly. “Given the conditions, it went well for us,” he said. Rain or not, they racked up the laps and—most importantly—avoided any real reliability problems. That’s the top priority when you’re shaking down a brand-new car and engine.
Performance talk? Still way too early for that. Right now, Ferrari’s just learning how this new car behaves, gathering data, and building up bit by bit as the days go on—keeping their focus squarely on themselves.