The Formula 1 drivers championship is set for a thrilling winner-takes-all decider at the season-finale Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
McLaren’s no-stop blunder in Qatar ensured that the Yas Marina circuit will once again play host to a decider.
McLaren blunder costs ‘broken’ Piastri Qatar Grand Prix
Lando Norris (408 points) leads Max Verstappen (396pts) by just 12 points heading into the final race of the campaign, with Aussie Oscar Piastri (392pts) just four points further back in third.
All three drivers can still claim the title.
This is the largest number of potential champions heading into the final race of the season since 2010, when Sebastian Vettel beat out Fernando Alonso, teammate Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton for the title.
The omens are positive for Piastri in one sense — Vettel was third heading into the finale and still managed to win. On the other hand, he did so at the expense of his Australian teammate, Webber.
Drivers get 25 points for a win, with 18 points for second, 15 for third, then 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 point available down to 10th place.Â
Here’s what each driver needs to do to claim a famous overall victory.
Lando Norris: 408 points
Lando Norris is still, just about, in the box seat. (Getty Images: Formula 1/Mario Renzi)
England’s Lando Norris only needs to beat his two rivals in order to claim his maiden drivers’ championship.
They say that you should only control the controllables though, and focus on yourself, advice which, if Norris wants to subscribe to it, states he needs to finish on the podium to claim victory and not worry where Verstappen or Pisatri finish.
Any other scenario for Norris to win the championship requires him to finish within 12 points of Verstappen in Abu Dhabi and within 16 points of Piastri.
In the unlikely event of a tie, the driver with the most race wins will come out on top.
At the moment, all three men have won seven races this year, making a victory in Abu Dhabi crucial.
Should none of them win though, it will go down to how many second places the drivers have recorded this season.
If it does get to that stage, Norris will win.
Norris has raced in Abu Dhabi six times in his career, winning on his most recent visit in 2024 — his only podium. He has never finished lower than eighth.Â
Max Verstappen: 396 points (12 behind)
Max Verstappen has charged towards the title challenge with alarming speed. (Getty Images: Clive Mason)
If Verstappen wins in Abu Dhabi, he will win the title — his fifth in a row — if Norris finishes fourth or worse.
If he does not win the race, the four-time defending champion just needs to out-score Norris by at least 13 points — so if Verstappen finishes second, Norris can’t finish higher than seventh.
If Verstappen finishes third, Norris has to finish worse than 10th.
That being said, Verstappen can’t let Piastri out-score him by five points or more — so a Piastri win would be enough to down the Dutchman.
Verstappen has four F1 victories in Abu Dhabi in his 10 races there, with two further podiums. Last year, he finished sixth in the race, his worst finish since a 16th with Toro Rosso in 2015.
Oscar Piastri: 392 points (16 behind)
Oscar Piastri must be hoping for no more surprises. (Getty Images: Lars Baron)
Piastri simply has to win in Abu Dhabi.Â
If he does, and Norris finishes sixth or worse, Piastri will win the title.
If Piastri finished second, Norris would need to finish in 10th place or worse, while Verstappen would have to finish off the podium in fourth or worse.
Piastri cannot finish third, as that only earns him 15 points when he is 16 behind.
The Australian has raced the Yas Marina circuit twice in an F1 car, his best performance a sixth-placed finish in 2023.
Will McLaren team orders come into play?
Is Lando Norris firmly in the box seat over Oscar Piastri now the title race is so close? (Getty Images: PA Images/David Davies)
Andrea Stella, the McLaren team chief engineer, said it was understandable that Piastri was feeling “crap” after losing the race.
“First of all, we understand Oscar being very disappointed because he did everything right,” Stella said in response to hearing that Norris was left speechless at the end of the race.
But the Italian did not think that team tactics would come into effect in Abu Dhabi, despite the prospect of the drivers’ title slipping through their fingers getting more and more realistic.
“In terms of adapting how we do racing, we always want to keep both options open for both drivers,” he said.
“They are both in position to win the championship.
“There’s been often in Formula 1 where it was the third one who wins the championship. 2007, I think it was the same in 2010.
“I think we have to respect the fact that Oscar has chances to win and therefore we are going to let them race.”
When is the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
You won’t want to miss the action as it unfolds in Abu Dhabi next week.
Here’s when you can watch the race across the country:
NSW, Victoria, ACT, Tasmania: 12am AEDT, Monday, December 8South Australia: 11:30pm ACDT, Sunday, December 7Queensland: 11pm AEST, Sunday, December 7Northern Territory: 10:30pm ACST, Sunday, December 7Western Australia: 10pm AWST, Sunday, December 7
ABC Sport will have live blog coverage of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from 12am AEDT on Monday, December 8.