Anthony Davidson sees Max Verstappen at his best ahead of Abu Dhabi title decider
Max Verstappen heads into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a chance to clinch his fifth Formula 1 title, and Anthony Davidson believes he’s never looked better than he does right now.
Lando Norris currently leads the F1 standings by 12 points, but Verstappen is aiming to overturn that deficit this weekend at Yas Marina.
The 2025 season will be decided over 58 laps on Sunday, with the entire championship coming down to one final race.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has seen its share of dramatic endings before, and this year looks set to add another chapter. The result remains wide open until the very end.
During FP1 at Yas Marina, Anthony Davidson noted that Verstappen appeared sharper than ever and pointed out several small details where he seemed ahead of his rivals. These observations could play a role in how the title race unfolds.
Anthony Davidson highlights Verstappen’s strengths ahead of Abu Dhabi decider
Anthony Davidson, providing commentary for Sky Sports F1 during the opening practice session, was impressed by Verstappen’s form as he appeared on screen during one of his timed laps.
The former Formula 1 driver pointed out how well-suited Verstappen’s approach is to the Yas Marina layout, saying:
“He can teeter right on the edge of that, and he can just drive around it. He’s used to the car feeling like that. He’s smooth, and I feel like that’s why he’s better off on circuits like this.
“I mean, nobody’s perfect, and I feel like street circuits don’t lend themselves to his style.
“His natural style is very smooth, and sometimes, not all the time, on street tracks, but sometimes you have to take the car by the scruff of the neck and go over the top with your controls to make the car do things.
Davidson likened Verstappen’s technique to a ballet dancer going through their routine:
“It’s like watching a slalom skier or a ballet dancer. He’s doing that from within the car, and it’s hard to see from the untrained eyes.”
Norris edges Verstappen in opening session of Abu Dhabi title decider
As the first practice session wrapped up, it was Norris who put in the quickest time on the board, giving himself a small boost going into the weekend. While FP1 is generally the least telling of all five sessions over a race weekend, it still gives Norris a bit of momentum ahead of the ones that matter.
While FP1 is generally the least telling of all five sessions over a race weekend, it still gives Norris a bit of momentum ahead of the ones that matter.
The gap between them was razor-thin, with Norris just eight thousandths of a second quicker than Verstappen. There’s really nothing between them at this stage.
Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri spent the session watching from the pit wall as McLaren reserve driver Pato O’Ward took his place to complete one final test required by F1 regulations.
If qualifying turns out to be just as tight as FP1, Sunday’s season finale could end up being an absolute thriller.
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