The Red Bull driver arrives 12 points behind Lando Norris and four ahead of Oscar Piastri after a late-season surge brought him back into title contention.

But despite needing results to fall his way on Sunday, Verstappen said the occasion carries none of the pressure he experienced during his first championship fight in 2021.

“I’m very relaxed. Nothing to lose, you know? So, I’m just enjoying being here,” he said.

“But for me, it’s not even about being here. I’ve been enjoying the second half of the season, working with the team, how we’ve been able to turn it around from difficult times and really having a debrief after the race, being very disappointed and frustrated with the performances to just enjoying, smiling.

“Having these wins again is fantastic. So I just take it – everything here is just a bonus, sitting here fighting for the title. That’s also what makes it very straightforward for me.

“We will just try to have a good weekend. But then even then, it’s not really in my control, you know? So we just, yeah, like I said, try to enjoy it.”

Verstappen made clear that the stakes feel different now compared to his breakthrough triumphs, emphasising that his legacy in F1 is already secure.

“I mean, trophy looks the same. You know, I have four of those at home, so it’s nice to add a fifth. Yeah. I mean, I know my signature, so it’s the same,” he joked.

“But yeah, I mean, of course you always try to win it. But at the same time, I’ve already achieved everything that I wanted to achieve in F1, and everything is just a bonus.

“And I just keep doing it because I love it and I enjoy it.”

While he remains determined to maximise his performance in the finale, Verstappen acknowledged that much of the championship picture sits outside his control.

“Realistically, I don’t think we are the quickest. But you never know. A lot of things can happen—like it did also in Qatar. So we’ll just see,” he said.

2025 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Schedule, how to watch, TV times & more