Max Verstappen will not attend today’s FIA awards ceremony because he is unwell. Reports from a Dutch newspaper reveal that the four-time world champion had to cancel his trip to Uzbekistan after contracting seasonal flu; this source has close connections with Verstappen’s family.
The FIA Awards Gala is set to begin at 6 pm UK time in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Verstappen was expected to appear alongside the new F1 world champion, Lando Norris, and Norris’s McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, who finished third.
Verstappen claimed victory at the season’s final race, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and ended the 2025 World Championship as runner-up after an astonishing comeback that saw him close the gap to Norris by just two points. He made an impressive recovery from being 104 points behind with nine races left, reigniting the title race. Following the last race, Verstappen traveled to the UK to visit Red Bull’s F1 factory in Milton Keynes.
The top three drivers in the championship standings are required to attend the FIA’s year-end awards, an event that traditionally closes the motorsport season. Norris, who secured his first world championship in Abu Dhabi, will officially receive the F1 Drivers’ World Championship trophy during Friday night’s ceremony.
Verstappen was also nominated for the FIA Action of the Year award for his overtaking move on Piastri at the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Last year, Verstappen faced a penalty at the FIA Gala in Kigali, Rwanda, where he had to perform community service due to abusive language used at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix press conference.
Verstappen is not the first to miss the event; Lewis Hamilton notably boycotted the 2021 FIA Gala after controversially losing the title to Verstappen and was fined 50,000 euros for not attending without an excuse.
Fan Take: Verstappen’s absence marks a rare moment in F1 history when a top contender misses such an important event, highlighting the pressures and physical toll of the sport. For racing fans, it underscores how even elite athletes deal with setbacks and reminds us that moments off the track are as impactful as those on it, shaping the narrative of the season and the sport itself.
