Lando Norris's quest for a maiden Formula 1 world championship faced a tense moment at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as the McLaren driver was placed under investigation for a controversial overtake on Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda.
Title Decider Overshadowed by Stewards' Investigation
The critical moment occurred on lap 23 of the race at the Yas Marina Circuit. Norris, hunting down a podium finish to secure the title, used DRS to attempt a pass around the outside of Tsunoda. In the aggressive manoeuvre, Norris's car appeared to leave the track limits to complete the overtake.
The race stewards immediately announced they would investigate two potential incidents: whether Norris had gained an advantage by leaving the track, and whether Tsunoda had forced another driver off the circuit with his defensive driving.
Penalty Decision Swings in Norris's Favour
After reviewing the footage, the officials reached a decisive verdict. Yuki Tsunoda was handed a five-second time penalty for forcing another driver off the track. Crucially for the championship battle, Lando Norris escaped any punishment for his part in the incident.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown strongly defended the stewards' decision in an interview with Sky Sports. "It was clearly the right decision," Brown stated. "That was a dangerous and unnecessary manoeuvre. This is a team sport, so I'm not surprised that the second car is going to help out, but I think there's got to be a limit."
Brown placed the blame squarely on the Red Bull driver, adding, "They (the team) are not driving the car so you've got to put that one on Yuki for, in my opinion, going over the line. It was a dangerous manoeuvre. But we're all good now."
Tsunoda, however, seemed bewildered by the penalty, responding simply with, "Penalty, what penalty bro?"
High-Stakes Context of the Abu Dhabi Showdown
The incident carried enormous weight in the championship narrative. Heading into the race on Sunday 7 December 2025, Norris held a 12-point lead over reigning champion Max Verstappen. A podium finish would guarantee the British driver his first title.
Verstappen had started from pole position after a dominant qualifying session on Saturday, with Norris lining up second, just 0.201 seconds behind. The race took an early twist when Norris's teammate, Oscar Piastri, who started third, overtook him on the first lap.
An early pit stop strategy then left Norris working his way back from eighth place. By the time he climbed to fourth, the only car ahead was Tsunoda in third, who was explicitly tasked with defending Verstappen's title hopes by keeping Norris off the podium.
The dramatic overtake and subsequent penalty decisions therefore directly influenced the destiny of the championship. Had Norris been penalised and dropped positions, it would have opened the door for Verstappen to complete a remarkable comeback from a 104-point deficit in the summer and claim a fifth consecutive drivers' crown.
