For the first time in 15 years, Formula 1 will head to its season finale with more than two drivers still in contention for the title.
Having taken the chequered flag at the Qatar Grand Prix on Monday morning (AEDT), Max Verstappen has forced a dramatic final race showdown against the McLaren line-up of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Verstappen continued his hunt for a fifth consecutive championship after pole-sitter Piastri finished second, and standings leader Norris came home fourth.
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Second-place finisher Oscar Piastri during the drivers’ press conference following the Qatar Grand Prix. Clive Rose via Getty Images
Had Norris prevailed, he would have secured his maiden world title with a round to spare.
Despite never leading the drivers’ championship this season, Verstappen’s remarkable late-season surge has lifted him past Piastri and into second place in the standings.
Heading into next weekend’s final round in Abu Dhabi, the Dutchman has slashed the gap to Norris from 24 points to just 12, while Piastri trails his teammate by 16 points.
Verstappen will no doubt have fond memories of the last time the title went down to the wire: beating then Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton on the last lap of the 2021 Abu Dhabi season finale to seal his first crown.
On that occasion, he and Hamilton entered the final grand prix tied on championship points.
Qatar was McLaren’s race to lose. Despite dominating all weekend, with Piastri on pole and Norris alongside him on the front row, a misjudged strategy call spoiled the victory.
The team opted not to pit both drivers during an early safety car period, which was deployed after Pierre Gasly’s Alpine clipped Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber and sent him spinning off the track.
As McLaren was the only team to keep both drivers out, the rest of the field capitalised on a cheap pit stop to switch to fresh tyres without losing significant track position.
The result sets up an epic final 58 laps of the Yas Marina Circuit, with Norris, Verstappen, and Piastri all still mathematically able to claim the title.
Wide World of Sports takes a look at every championship scenario that could unfold in Abu Dhabi:
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri (centre) with teammate Lando Norris (left) and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen (right) during the qualifying press conference ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images
The current state of play
Heading into the final grand prix, Norris leads the standings with 408 points, followed closely by Verstappen (396) and Piastri (392).
All three title contenders have secured seven grand prix wins this season.
Verstappen is aiming for an unprecedented fifth-straight F1 crown, while Norris and Piastri are both chasing their maiden title.
PositionDriverNationalityTeamPoints1Lando NorrisBritishMcLaren4082Max VerstappenDutchRed Bull3963Oscar PiastriAustralianMcLaren392
As is standard for every grand prix, the final race awards points for the top 10 finishers, structured as follows: 25 points for a win, 18 for second, 15 for third, and then 12, 10, eight, six, four, two and one point down to 10th place.
An additional point is awarded for the fastest lap, provided the driver finishes in the top 10.
The necessary scenarios for Oscar Piastri to win the title
If Piastri wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he would need Norris to finish sixth or lower to claim the drivers’ championship.
A Piastri victory would extinguish Verstappen’s title hopes regardless of where he finishes.
Oscar Piastri on track during the Sprint race at the Lusail International Circuit. Getty
Piastri can finish second and still win the title, but this would require a major disaster for Norris, who would need to finish 10th or lower. Meanwhile, Verstappen would also have to miss the podium for the Melburnian to lift the trophy.
Finishing third or lower would mathematically eliminate Piastri from the championship fight.
Piastri has contested the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix twice, achieving his best result, a sixth-placed finish, in 2023.
The necessary scenarios for Lando Norris to win the title
Simply, Norris only needs to finish ahead of both his rivals in their current order to guarantee his maiden drivers’ championship.
Furthermore, if he lands on the podium, he cannot be caught in the title race.
A fourth or fifth-place finish for Norris guarantees him the title, provided Verstappen does not win the race. This outcome holds regardless of where Piastri finishes.
If Norris finishes sixth or seventh, he secures the title only if neither Verstappen nor Piastri wins the race.
If Norris takes eighth, the title is secured, provided Verstappen finishes third or lower, and Piastri does not win the race.
A ninth-place finish for Norris only secures the championship if Verstappen is kept out of the top three and Piastri is denied victory.
If Norris finishes 10th, he secures the title, provided Verstappen finishes fourth or lower, and Piastri finishes third or lower.
A finish of 11th or lower for Norris only wins the title if Verstappen is kept out of the top three and Piastri is kept out of the top two.
In the unlikely event of a points tie, the champion will be decided by the driver who has achieved the most race wins this season.
Lando Norris in pit lane during the Qatar Grand Prix. Formula 1 via Getty Images
As all three contenders are currently tied with seven race wins each this year, a victory in Abu Dhabi could be crucial to secure the tie-break advantage.
If none of the three drivers win in Abu Dhabi under these circumstances, the count moves to second-place finishes — a tie-breaker in which Norris holds the advantage.
Norris has never finished lower than eighth at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He is also the most recent winner.
The necessary scenarios for Max Verstappen to win the title
If Verstappen wins in Abu Dhabi, he will be crowned world champion provided Norris does not finish on the podium.
In the event of a Verstappen victory, Piastri’s result would be irrelevant.
Max Verstappen is ready to take the title fight directly to Lando Norris. Hector Vivas via Getty Images
If Verstappen finishes second, he secures the championship only if Norris finishes eighth or worse and Piastri is denied a top-two finish.
If Verstappen finishes third, he would need Norris to finish ninth or lower, and Piastri must not win the race to secure the title.
Verstappen has had significant success in Abu Dhabi, achieving four victories and two further podiums across his 10 appearances there.