Motorsports
Desert Duel Decider
Abu Dhabi is set for a nerve-testing finish as Lando Norris steps into the biggest race of his career. Holding a slim 12-point lead heading into Sunday’s finale, the McLaren driver knows a podium would seal his first Formula 1 world title. But momentum sits firmly with Max Verstappen, who has clawed his way back into contention with five wins in his last eight races.
McLaren arrives at the Yas Marina Circuit under pressure after a difficult stretch. The team’s misjudged pit call in Qatar allowed Verstappen to snatch a win despite Oscar Piastri topping every session that weekend. Two weeks earlier, both McLaren cars were disqualified in Las Vegas for excessive plank wear. Those setbacks reopened the door for Verstappen, who has spent the past month capitalizing on every mistake with near-perfect drives.
Piastri remains the dark horse in this three-way fight. Sixteen points behind Norris, he needs a win or second place plus some luck, but his strong form in Qatar has revived confidence. The Australian, managed by former F1 driver Mark Webber, is also chasing history as the first champion from his country since Alan Jones in 1980.
History adds another layer to this showdown. The last time more than two drivers arrived at the final race with a shot at the title was in 2010, when Sebastian Vettel surged from third in the standings to take the crown while rivals faltered. Norris knows this well. Although the McLaren has been the strongest car for much of the year, the team’s recent missteps have given Verstappen more than enough reason to believe he can equal Michael Schumacher’s run of five straight championships.
All three title contenders have seven wins apiece this season, with Mercedes’ George Russell taking the other two. McLaren locked up the constructors’ championship early and eased development, helping Red Bull close the gap and giving this finale its razor-thin margins.
Norris has kept his approach calm, crediting his team for the season’s success and vowing to give everything in the final push. Verstappen’s job is clear he must win and hope Norris finishes fourth or lower. Piastri’s path is narrower but still alive.
Around them, storylines continue. Mercedes hopes to grab second in the constructors’ race ahead of Red Bull. Yuki Tsunoda prepares for his final drive with the team before handing his seat to rookie Isack Hadjar. And Lewis Hamilton, a five-time winner in Abu Dhabi, aims to avoid ending his season without a podium.
After a year of unpredictable swings, three drivers arrive with a shot at the crown. Norris may have the advantage on paper, but under the lights of Yas Marina, nothing is guaranteed.
Nasser Al-Attiyah sealed his sixth Dakar Rally car title in Yanbu on Saturday after a controlled final stage, while Argentina’s Luciano Benavides clinched the bike crown by two seconds in one of the closest finishes in recent memory.
Driving a Dacia, Al-Attiyah entered the final 105km stage with a comfortable buffer and avoided mistakes to finish ninth on the day, enough to secure overall victory by almost 10 minutes over Spain’s Nani Roma in a Ford. Roma’s teammate Mattias Ekstrom won the last stage and completed the overall car podium in third.
The win gave Al-Attiyah his sixth Dakar car title after previous victories in 2011, 2015, 2019, 2022, and 2023. The 55-year-old also brought his career Dakar stage win total to 50 during the rally. Competing with Belgian co-driver Fabian Lurquin, he took control of the standings early and stayed clear of late drama.
“We’ve worked very hard since last year. I might not be showing much emotion yet, but it’s there. We are so happy to win,” Al-Attiyah said at the finish.
For Romanian manufacturer Dacia, the victory came at only its second Dakar attempt and delivered its first overall win in the event.
Al-Attiyah now sits alone in second place on the all-time Dakar car winners list, moving ahead of Ari Vatanen and Carlos Sainz, who both have four titles. Stephane Peterhansel remains the benchmark with eight car wins.
“This is my sixth victory. I still need to break Peterhansel’s record,” Al-Attiyah said.
Last year’s champion Yazeed Al Rajhi retired earlier in the rally due to mechanical problems.
In the bike category, Benavides secured his first Dakar title after finishing second on the final stage aboard a KTM, edging Honda rider Ricky Brabec by two seconds overall. Brabec, a two-time Dakar winner, lost time near the finish after taking a wrong line.
“I’ve dreamed of this moment my whole life,” Benavides said after the result was confirmed.
Brabec had been on course for a third title before the navigation error in the closing kilometers. Benavides said the opportunity appeared late in the stage and he committed when it mattered.
“Even yesterday it seemed impossible, but I still felt it could happen,” he said. “I saw the opening and I went for it.”
Spain’s Edgar Canet won the final bike stage, while Tosha Schareina finished third on the day and third overall.
The victory added another chapter to the Benavides family history at Dakar, following earlier wins by Luciano’s older brother Kevin.
“Nine years in the Dakar and my first win,” Benavides said. “My brother and I are making history. It’s a dream come true.”
The Alpine Formula One Team has released Australian driver Jack Doohan ahead of the new Formula One season, ending a short and difficult chapter for the young racer.
Alpine said on Tuesday it reached a mutual agreement with Doohan to stop his driving duties, allowing him to explore other career options. The team still praised his commitment and professionalism during his four years with the organization.
Doohan, 22, stepped into an Alpine race seat at the end of 2024 after replacing Esteban Ocon. He was later named a full-time starter for the 2025 season. His run on the grid, however, was brief. He failed to finish three of his six races last season, with 14th place in Bahrain as his best result.
After retiring in Miami in May, Doohan was moved to a reserve role. That demotion effectively signaled the end of his time as a regular Alpine driver.
The son of motorcycle legend Mick Doohan was replaced in the cockpit by Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto, but results did not improve. Colapinto also failed to score a single point while driving what was widely regarded as the weakest car on the grid.
Alpine finished last in the constructors’ standings with 22 points. All of those were scored by French driver Pierre Gasly.
For the upcoming season, Alpine confirmed Gasly and Colapinto as its race drivers. The team will introduce a completely new car built around the latest Formula One regulations. It will also switch to Mercedes power after ending its engine supply from Renault.
Reigning Dakar Rally champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi has been forced to abandon the Dakar Rally, organisers confirmed on Wednesday.
Officials said Al-Rajhi withdrew at kilometre 234 of the stage after his car suffered technical problems. The setback ended his bid to defend the title he won in 2025.
The 44 year old Saudi had struggled since the opening days of the rally and started Wednesday outside the top 15. His retirement came during the first marathon stage, where crews are not allowed outside mechanical help. This meant repairs on his Toyota Hilux were not possible at the end of the 452 kilometre special stage.
Al-Rajhi has faced a difficult period since his breakthrough Dakar victory last year. In April, he was involved in a heavy crash during a race in Jordan that left him with multiple fractured vertebrae and sidelined him for several months.
With the defending champion out, the overall lead changed hands on Wednesday. South African driver Henk Lategan, also driving a Toyota, won the stage in 4 hours 47 minutes and 08 seconds.
Lategan finished more than seven minutes ahead of five time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah and now holds an overall advantage of nearly four minutes heading into the next stage.
