It’s Round 24 of the 2025 Formula 1 season, and it all comes down to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, held at the Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island.
On Sunday morning at 8 a.m. ET on ESPN, the World Drivers’ Championship (WDC) will finally be decided, and one of Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, or Oscar Piastri will hoist the trophy.
Below, we’ll take a look at our Abu Dhabi Grand Prix predictions and payouts on each driver to win on PrizePicks Team Picks payouts — with Max Verstappen currently the favorite. We’ll also dive into the World Drivers' Championship standings and see how each driver can win.
The WDC is as close as it’s been all season long. McLaren’s Norris leads with 408 points, ahead of Red Bull’s Verstappen and McLaren’s Piastri by 12 and 16 points, respectively. Verstappen trailed by more than 25 points two races ago in Las Vegas, but the four-time defending world champion has slashed the gap by winning both in Sin City as well as Qatar last weekend.
Let’s dive into our Abu Dhabi GP predictions, track map, and more.
2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Track Map
The Abu Dhabi GP circuit, located at Yas Marina, spans 3.45 miles in length and is a 55-lap race. There are two long straights, located between Turns 5 and 6, as well as 8 and 9, and they span the two DRS (Drag Reduction System) Detection Zones.
This is notably the final race ever that will have DRS, as it is set to be replaced in 2026 by the new M.O.M., or Manual Override Mode, the new overtaking aid in F1.
This is the 16th year that Yas Island has hosted the Abu Dhabi GP, and there have been several exciting finishes, including the controversial race in 2021 that saw Verstappen win his first-ever championship over seven-time winner Lewis Hamilton, then driving for Mercedes.
How Can Vertappen or Norris Win the World Drivers’ Championship?
As this is the final race of the 2025 season, the World Drivers’ Championship also concludes with this race. And all three of Verstappen, Norris, and Piastri have several ways to win the WDC.
You can see how each driver can win the WDC in Abu Dhabi this weekend below, where it’s not as simple as just winning, unless your name is Lando Norris.
On Saturday morning, Verstappen was able to secure pole by a good margin over Norris and Piastri, who finished second and third. The Red Bull superstar needs some help from the rest of the field now to win; if Norris finishes in the top three, the Brit will secure his first world title.
With Team Picks on PrizePicks, you can pick the driver who you think will emerge victorious at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP to earn real money.
Here are the payout multipliers for the top three ranked drivers to win the race on Team Picks. Note that payout projections are live as of publishing and are subject to change.
- Lando Norris - Yes: 1.35x/No: 3.03x
- Max Verstappen - Yes: 4x/No: 1.21x
- Oscar Piastri - Yes: 8.33x/No: 1.04x
- All Other Drivers – Yes: 33.33x
You can get into the F1 real-money action with PrizePicks Team Picks, choosing who you think will emerge victorious in Abu Dhabi.
2025 F1 Abu Dhabi GP Predictions: Will Verstappen Win?
Of the three at the top, Piastri has the longest shot to win, returning 8.33x payout on Team Picks if he wins. The Aussie has not performed that well in Abu Dhabi, placing 10th in 2024 and 6th in 2023, despite starting in second and third place after qualifying.
Norris to win the race pays out at 4x, still a significant underdog behind the favorite Verstappen. The Brit is coming off leading both free practice sessions so far and looks as quick as he has all season long. However, Norris has a history of struggling when the pressure is on. He is the defending champion of this race, winning by nearly six seconds over former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz in 2024.
Verstappen comes in as the heavy favorite, with a 1.35 payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if he win the Abu Dhabi GP to finish the season. The Dutchman has a strong history in this race, winning four straight years from 2020 to 2024.
He gave a little bit of his thoughts following Saturday's qualifying session, noting that "I want to win the race of course, but also in the back of my mind, we want to have a chance to win the Drivers' Championship as well, so we'll need a bit of luck behind us."
With Verstappen grabbing pole position, he secured the best position to win the Abu Dhabi GP, and giving himself a shot to win the WDC.
All payout data can be found by going to PrizePicks Team Picks in the PrizePicks app, where you can make F1 picks and earn real money if you’re right.
Make F1 Abu Dhabi Predictions on PrizePicks
It all comes down to this final race in Abu Dhabi; will the favorite Verstappen hold onto first on a track he's found past success on? Will first be enough for him to complete his comeback to win the World Drivers' Championship? We'll find out on Sunday at 8 a.m. ET.
With F1 on PrizePicks Team Picks, you can turn your F1 knowledge into real-money earnings. Pick a driver to win or have the fastest lap, lock in your prediction, and earn money if you're right.
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