The curtain is about to lift on the 2025 F1 season finale, as Lando Norris will fight for his life to clinch the Drivers’ Championship over Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. The last time we saw a title decider between more than two cars was back in 2010, when a four-horse race unfolded in Abu Dhabi between Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, and Lewis Hamilton.
To spice up the drama, the FIA made a shrewd move with the drivers’ press conference.
FIA Sets Up Highly Anticipated Presser Featuring Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri
The FIA set up an interesting panel for the second part of Thursday’s FIA drivers’ press conference by scheduling Norris, Verstappen, and Piastri together. Additionally, McLaren Boss Zak Brown, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies, and Audi’s Jonathan Wheatley will feature in Friday’s team representatives presser.
The Athletic’s Luke Smith posted about the schedule, writing:
“Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri will appear together in the second part of Thursday’s FIA drivers’ press conference. Zak Brown and Laurent Mekies (plus Jonathan Wheatley!) are in Friday’s team representatives presser.”
Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri will appear together in the second part of Thursday’s FIA drivers’ press conference.
Zak Brown and Laurent Mekies (plus Jonathan Wheatley!) are in Friday’s team representatives presser.#F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/xENqxIF3g2
— Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1) December 3, 2025
Right before the three title contenders on Thursday, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Isack Hadjar will take questions from the media. Leclerc and Russell lead the ‘best of the rest’ in the standings, despite the Monegasque having endured another disappointing season at Ferrari.
At the same time, Russell has bagged some admirable results in the Mercedes, including two wins and two poles.
Hadjar, on the other hand, made headlines this week for becoming Verstappen’s next teammate at Red Bull for next season. The Frenchman will replace Yuki Tsunoda in a move that sees the Japanese driver transition to a reserve role, while Liam Lawson and newcomer Arvid Lindblad will drive the Racing Bulls in 2026.
Past Incidents When FIA Pressers Got Uncomfortable
The three title contenders sitting together in a press conference have the potential to raise some eyebrows.
In 2015, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg sat right next to each other in the post-race presser of the Chinese Grand Prix, which Hamilton won, with Rosberg coming second. The German accused his British teammate of “unnecessarily compromising” his race, to which Hamilton responded that it’s not his “job to look after Nico’s race.”
The last time a title decider took place in Abu Dhabi, the pre-race press conference also had some tension. In 2021, Verstappen and Hamilton faced off in a suspenseful season finale, and their media session beforehand carried a similar weight and discomfort, with hints at deliberate crashes being made.
