Fernando Alonso cautions Lando Norris that being a championship leader going into the last race is not always an advantage

Fernando Alonso believes that Lando Norris holding the lead in the championship does not necessarily guarantee him the title. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, ahead of the 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi, the two-time world champion reflected on his own experiences in multi-way title fights, particularly the dramatic 2010 showdown against Sebastian Vettel.

In 2010, Vettel fought Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and Mark Webber for the crown, with the title ultimately decided by a single point. Alonso was also part of a three-way battle in 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen and Hamilton, a championship that also came down to the final race and was settled by a single point.

Alonso recalled how an ill-timed safety car at the 2010 Abu Dhabi GP played a defining role in the title outcome. He drew a parallel to the 2025 Qatar GP, where an untimely safety car triggered McLaren’s strategic collapse, compromising both pit stops. The error allowed Max Verstappen to close in on Norris and move up to second in the standings, 12 points behind the Briton, while Oscar Piastri slipped to third, 14 points off his teammate.

The Spaniard noted that in situations like these, predicting the outcome becomes nearly impossible. Title finales, he said, rarely unfold like normal race weekends for the contenders. To keep Norris and Piastri fully focused, McLaren have shielded both drivers from media duties beyond their mandatory press conference. Verstappen, Fernando Alonso observed, appears more relaxed and closer to his usual routine. The single press conference featuring all three title protagonists was packed with journalists and photographers, a testament to the magnitude of the battle awaiting F1 in Abu Dhabi.

Asked by Sportskeeda if the title battle at the 2025 season finale reminded him of the 2010 Abu Dhabi race, Fernando Alonso replied:

“Yeah, I mean, the last time that it was three drivers, he was back in 2010. So, yeah, I don't know, the prediction is difficult. Always you think that the leading guy has an advantage because has some margin, in terms of results, and you can take it at this year. But you know, Formula One is unpredictable and you, it was a safety car and back in 2010, that it was, you know, the wrong choice to don't take it. It was a safety car last week, it was a wrong choice as well, not to take it [pitstop]. But you know, these things can't happen in a Formula One race, so it's not guaranteed, even if you are leading the championship.”

Asked if such a title decider was similar to a normal season finale, Fernando Alonso replied:

“No, it is hard. It is hard, because, you know, from yesterday, that you do a couple of events and today, the media is always the same question. And even if you want to switch it off and treat it like a normal weekend, you know, there are always inputs from outside that they remind you that it's a very special race. So, yeah, it's more stress for sure, more pressure. But at the end of the day, I think when you close the visor and you leave the garage, your driving style or you're driving technique and your wish of doing well and win the race doesn't change much. So it's not that you drive differently., So yeah i think it's going to be a normal weekend inside the car a different weekend on the outside.”

Fernando Alonso was also asked about the possibility of him or Verstappen winning the title if the MCL39 were at their disposal, but he gave an impartial response.

---

Fernando Alonso wished not to predict whether he or Max Verstappen would have been victorious in the McLaren

Fernando Alonso suggested it was impossible to predict whether he or Max Verstappen would have already sealed the championship had they been driving the McLaren MCL39. The Dutchman has repeatedly claimed this season that if he were in the McLaren seat, the title would have wrapped up long ago.

Fernando Alonso, however, stressed once again that machinery plays a decisive role in F1, a point he has emphasised throughout his career. In classic Alonso fashion, he joked that drivers don’t always win championships in the best car, delivering the line with his usual dry humour and sending the media into a roar of laughter inside the Aston Martin hospitality.

Asked if he or Verstappen would have already won the championship in the dominant McLaren this season, Fernando Alonso said:

“You never know. I mean, you never know. It's always a guess, you know, difficult to answer. You know, I think we all know that Max is an incredible driver and, you know extracting the maximum from the car and some of the races he has won this year, maybe it was not really up to the car, it was up to him and also last year. But yeah, you never know. I mean, my case, we will say that we can win the championship with the best car, you we all have that self confidence. But, it's a question that you cannot answer.”

Asked if Verstappen did not win the title, would it mean that the best driver would not have won the championship, Fernando Alonso joked:

“This has been happening for the last 19 years now. So it will now be 20th."

Fernando Alonso won two world championships but lost at least three others by agonisingly small margins, one to three points. In 2007, he fell short to Kimi Räikkönen; in 2010 to Sebastian Vettel, and in 2012, he entered a two-way showdown with Vettel that went down to the final laps in Brazil. Formula 1 has seen several titles decided at the last race, including the 2016 battle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg and the dramatic 2021 finale between Max Verstappen and Hamilton. The 2021 decider became the most-watched sporting event of the year, and the current championship is shaping up to be another generational spectacle.

The ground-effect era has largely belonged to Red Bull and Verstappen, with the team dominating the last three seasons. McLaren, however, has turned the tide on the constructors’ front, winning the title last year and again this year. Their missing piece remains the drivers’ championship, a trophy they have not claimed since 2008, when Lewis Hamilton secured their last crown. A three-way title fight has only happened twice before in F1 history, making this season even more remarkable. As things stand, Lando Norris leads Max Verstappen by 12 points, with Oscar Piastri 14 points behind his teammate, setting up a finale for the ages.