Max Verstappen stated that he was "feeling really good" despite missing out on the World Championship by two points at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
"I hope he throws a big party tonight!"- Max Verstappen
Lando Norris became the newly crowned Formula 1 champion after finishing P3 at the Yas Marina Circuit, the first McLaren driver since Lewis Hamilton in 2008 to take that title.
Verstappen did all he could by winning from pole at the season finale, but Norris just needed a P3 to stop the Dutchman from completing one of the greatest F1 comebacks in history.
“Actually, I’m standing here feeling really good, because we did everything we could to be in that fight," Verstappen explained while speaking to Viaplay.
"It’s a shame to come up two points short, but our first half of the season was too inconsistent. The second half was good, but even then, we had a bit of luck at times and made mistakes.
"If it doesn’t work out by two points, then that’s how it is. It doesn’t matter whether it’s one point or fifty points.”
Verstappen's win in Abu Dhabi meant he finished the season with eight wins to his name, while Norris and Oscar Piastri both had seven wins across 2025.
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The comeback from himself and his team means there is plenty to be happy about in 2025, turning around a season that looked to be over halfway through the year.
“I actually wasn’t disappointed at all. We just gave it everything,” continued the Dutchman. "I look back on it very satisfied. With my own performances, but also with how the team managed to turn things around. That’s why I’m not that disappointed about it.”
The four-time World Champion also had some advice for Norris on what to do after winning your first title: “You’ve just got to enjoy this. You don’t know how often it will happen again, so I hope he throws a big party tonight. I’m going to have a nice time with my family in my own way.”
Verstappen was finally asked if he was glad this generation of cars is over. “Yes, I am happy about that. In the last laps, I thought for a moment, 'Should I try to enjoy it?' But the answer is no. I pushed even harder to get to the line faster.”
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