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Follow all the latest F1 news ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi as Red Bull announce their team for next season
Kieran JacksonFormula 1 CorrespondentTuesday 02 December 2025 08:34 GMTComments
CloseLando Norris fumes after McLaren strategy error in Qatar: 'We didn't make the right decision'
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Red Bull will announce their driver line-up for 2026 today, with Yuki Tsunoda at risk of losing his spot in F1.
Max Verstappen’s next teammate is instead widely expected to be Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar. The 21-year-old has enjoyed an excellent rookie season in F1 and currently sits 10th in the world championship, and his reward is set to be a step up - or a step into the sport’s poisoned chalice seat, depending on your view.
It follows a busy few days for Red Bull, who released a statement on Monday in which they said they “regret” comments which have led to Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli receiving death threats on social media.
In the final laps of Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix, Antonelli made a mistake and veered off track, allowing Lando Norris to move up into fourth place and handing the McLaren driver two valuable points in the title race.
READ: What does Lando Norris need to win F1 title in Abu Dhabi?
Max Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase and Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko both made comments suggesting Antonelli deliberately let Norris past, leading to the 19-year-old receiving over a thousand abusive comments online, according to Mercedes, despite the fact the Italian quickly insisted in the media pen that he’d made a simple driving error. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff labelled criticism of Antonelli as “brainless.”
Follow live reaction from the Qatar Grand Prix with The Independent
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F1 QATAR GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- Max Verstappen wins the Qatar Grand Prix; Piastri 2nd; Sainz 3rd
- COMMENT: Max Verstappen is laughing at McLaren – how many more warnings do they need?
- NEW: Red Bull apologise after Antonelli receives death threats
- Lando Norris's title lead is trimmed to 12 points, with Verstappen now in second; Piastri is 16 points off Norris
- The title will be decided in the season finale in Abu Dhabi on 7 December
Kimi Antonelli on his late mistake which gave Norris fourth place:
“At the end, with the hard, I was pushing quite a lot – eventually I was close to DRS, into turn nine went in a bit quicker, had a massive moment, was a bit unexpected, lost the rear and went off track.
“Need to look why the mistake arrived, went a bit quicker but not massively different, lost the rear, shame to lose the place and two more points.
“Now we work hard and move on to Abu Dhabi.”
(Getty Images)Kieran Jackson1 December 2025 17:00More from Oscar Piastri:
On current thoughts: “Feeling pretty crap as you can imagine, don’t really know what to say, we didn’t get it right with the strategy, pace was very strong. Shame not to walk away with the win.
“I left it in the team’s hands to decide what the best strategy was, they have more information than I do but… yeah.”
On McLaren playing it fair with both drivers: “I’m not sure today’s decision was to do with that, we potentially just got it wrong, but I’ll speak to the team.
On Abu Dhabi: “Just dry like I did this weekend, was more than good enough to dominate this weekend, if I can do the same next week I’ll be a happy man.”
Oscar Piastri (Getty)Kieran Jackson1 December 2025 16:00F1 constructor standings in full:
1. McLaren - 800 points (champions)
2. Mercedes - 459 points
3. Red Bull - 426 points
4. Ferrari - 382 points
5. Williams - 137 points
6. Racing Bulls - 92 points
7. Aston Martin - 80 points
8. Haas - 73 points
9. Sauber - 68 points
10. Alpine - 22 points
Kieran Jackson1 December 2025 15:00Charles Leclerc, who finished eighth:
On finding more performance: “No. I searched for it, I still did not find it, very frustrating but not one lap where I was fast. Again very frustrating.
Looking forward to the back of this car? “Yes for sure, but at the same time, looking forward to the last race and to finish on a higher note, depressing to go on holiday with a race like that.
“For sure, look at next year’s car and forget this year, which has been a very tough one.”
Kieran Jackson1 December 2025 14:00Max Verstappen relaxed ahead of F1 title showdown in Abu Dhabi: ‘It doesn’t really matter’
Max Verstappen insists he is “relaxed” ahead of Sunday’s F1 title showdown in Abu Dhabi, having narrowed the deficit to 12 points.
“I know that I’m 12 points down and I go in there with just positive energy, and I will try everything I can.
“But at the same time, if I don’t win it, I still know that I have had an amazing season. So, it doesn’t really matter, and that just takes a lot of the pressure off. I’m just out there having a good time like I had today.”
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen could win his fifth world title on Sunday (David Davies/PA) (PA Wire)Kieran Jackson1 December 2025 13:00Red Bull statement:
“Comments made before the end of and immediately after the Qatar GP suggesting that Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake him are clearly incorrect.
“Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi receiving online abuse.”
(Getty)Kieran Jackson1 December 2025 12:40NEW: Red Bull apologise after Antonelli receives death threats
Red Bull have released a statement in which they “regret” comments which have led to Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli receiving death threats on social media.
In the final laps of Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix, Antonelli made a mistake and veered off track, allowing Lando Norris to move up into fourth place and handing the McLaren driver two valuable points in the title race.
Max Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase told his driver on team radio: “I am not sure what happened to Antonelli there - it looked like he just pulled over and let Lando through.” Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko also said post-race that it was “so obvious” that Antonelli had “waved” Norris through.
More below:
Red Bull release ‘regret’ statement after Kimi Antonelli receives death threats
Comments from Red Bull F1 personnel suggested Antonelli deliberately moved aside to allow Lando Norris through in the final laps of the Qatar Grand PrixKieran Jackson1 December 2025 12:17Lando Norris unhappy with McLaren F1 strategy blunder: ‘It was the wrong decision’
Asked how he will tackle the three-way title shootout in just seven days, Norris, who will dethrone Verstappen as champion if he finishes at least third, insisted: “It will feel the same as every weekend. I try and beat them. They try and beat me. It is nothing different, but I just want to go to bed.
“We were the ones who took the gamble today, and it was the wrong decision.
“There is nothing I can do about it now. It was not my finest day in terms of driving and putting things together. That is life.
“Everyone has bad weekends. I take it on the chin, we will see what we can do in Abu Dhabi.”
More below:
Lando Norris unhappy with McLaren F1 strategy blunder: ‘It was the wrong decision’
Norris heads to Abu Dhabi only 12 points clear of Max Verstappen after McLaren botched an early pit-stop callKieran Jackson1 December 2025 12:00F1 driver standings in full:
1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 408 points
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 396 points
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 392 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 309 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 230 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 152 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 152 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 73 points
9. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 64 points
10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 51 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 49 points
12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 48 points
13. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 41 points
14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 38 points
15. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 33 points
16. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 32 points
17. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 32 points
18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 22 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 19 points
20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points
21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points
Kieran Jackson1 December 2025 11:00How can Max Verstappen win the title?
A minimum third place (15 points) in Abu Dhabi would give Norris an unassailable 27-point lead.
Fourth place (12 points) would give Norris a 24-point lead and, thus, if Verstappen then won the race, the Dutchman would take the title by one point.
Alternatively, put simply, Verstappen needs to score 13 more points than Norris.
(Getty)Kieran Jackson1 December 2025 10:00Newer1 / 14OlderMore about
Max VerstappenLando NorrisOscar PiastriMcLarenQatar Grand PrixAbu Dhabi Grand PrixRed BullKimi AntonelliYuki TsunodaIsack HadjarmercedesJoin our commenting forum
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