How the F1 title is decided if multiple drivers are tied on equal points

Lando Norris has 12 points separating him from Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the standings, with Oscar Piastri 16 points adrift, heading into the F1 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Whilst the 2025 F1 drivers' title is still the Briton's grasp following the Qatar Grand Prix, it looks less certain than before the weekend at the Lusail International Circuit,

But all he must do at the Yas Marina Circuit to fend off the four-time champion and his McLaren team-mate is finish on the podium, as a third-place result would be enough to seal the crown.

Yet the close nature of this year's battle raises an intriguing question that has never been tested in F1's 75-year history: What happens if two or more drivers finish the campaign level on points?

The closest F1 has come to this scenario, so far, was in 1984, when Niki Lauda beat his own McLaren team-mate, Alain Prost, but just half a point.

What happens if drivers are tied at the end of the season?

The answer lies in a tie-breaking countback system that prioritises race victories above all else.

Should drivers be tied on championship points when the chequered flag falls at Abu Dhabi, the driver with the most grand prix wins would be crowned champion (sprints are not considered).

If that tally remains equal, second-place finishes would be counted, followed by third-place finishes, and so on, continuing down the finishing positions until a difference emerges.

Remarkably, this regulation has never been required to settle a championship, but could 2025 be the first?

Current championship situation

The 2025 standings perfectly illustrate why this rule could prove crucial. Norris sits atop the standings with 408 points.

Behind him, Verstappen is on 396 points with Piastri on 392 — and only 25 are still up for grabs.

Following the Red Bull driver's triumph in Qatar, the trio all have seven grand prix victories apiece.

If any of the three wins the final race, there cannot be a tiebreaker scenario, so wins alone can no longer prove critical on countback.

However, it is not inconceivable that two of them end the campaign equal on points and grand prix victories — if none of them win in Abu Dhabi.

At that point, it would come down to which driver has the most second-place finishes, and that is where Norris has an advantage.

The 26-year-old has already scored eight so far this year, with Verstappen on five and Piastri on four. Therefore, neither of his rivals can end the season with more.