The Formula One 2025 Season has been filled with big moments and headlines, with drivers switching teams, such as Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari, and F1 the Movie hitting Hollywood and the silver screen. Now it is coming to a close. Only two races remain on the calendar, one in Qatar and one in Abu Dhabi, and the Driver’s Championship is still up for grabs with three drivers fighting for the title.
Formula One has two championships, the Constructors’ Championship and the Drivers’ Championship. The Constructors’ Championship, which was won by McLaren earlier this season, is awarded to the team with the most points. Points are added up across each team’s two cars for the season. According to Formula One, points are awarded to the top 10 finishers. The driver in first place receives 25 points, the driver in second place receives 18 points, the third-place driver receives 15 points, then the remaining drivers receive 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2 points respectively.
The Driver’s Championship is awarded not to the team, or even the car, but to the driver with the most points at the end of the season. Points are awarded exactly the same way they are in the Constructors’ Championship. While both championships can be won earlier in the season when it is no longer mathematically possible for any other driver or team to catch up, such as McLaren winning the Constructors Championship with 6 races left this season, the trophy is not awarded for either championship until the final race of the season.
With the Constructors’ Championship title already claimed for the 2025 season, all eyes now turn to the Drivers’ Championship as the drivers race to become the new Formula One World Champion. Of course, not every driver can compete for the championship this late in the season because they do not have enough points, even if they won the last two races. Right now, only three drivers are still in the running for the Driver’s Championship: Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri. Formula One updates the drivers’ standings after every race. Currently, Lando Norris has the most points at 390, and Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen both have 366 points.
Last weekend, drivers lined up at the start line in Las Vegas. It seemed like Norris would have extended his lead over both Verstappen and his teammate Piastri; however, both Norris and Piastri were disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix. They were found in violation of a technical regulation, specifically the thickness of the planks on their cars was found to be below the post-race 9mm limit, according to Formula One. With Verstappen finishing first in the Grand Prix and both Norris and Piastri failing to earn any points, the championship fight only became that much closer. Norris could still secure the championship this upcoming ​race in Qatar if he manages to put at least a gap of 26 points between himself and the other championship contenders.
As Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri fight for the championship title, the last two races on the Formula One calendar are sure to be full of strategy, competition, and, of course, speed.