Formula 1 revs up for a three-way title showdown

Photo: Eric Alonso / PHOTOSPORT Formula One will crown its champion in Abu Dhabi this weekend with McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both seeking to dethrone Red Bull's Max Verstappen and deny the Dutchman his fifth title in a row. Norris is favourite in the three-way showdown, 12 points clear of Verstappen and needing 'only' to finish on the podium at Yas Marina whoever wins on what could be a night of high drama. The last season before the start of a fresh era for the sport, and the expansion to 11 teams with new rules and engines, has been one of comebacks and shocks for all three contenders and none can be counted out. All have seven wins each, all capable of adding to that tally and ready to deliver an edge-of-seat sunset finale that might have come straight out of Brad Pitt's recent F1 movie blockbuster. All have also suffered the agony of race retirements due to collisions or crashes. Norris, winner of the opener in Melbourne last March, was 34 points behind Piastri at the end of August but turned his fortunes around with a hot streak while the Australian stalled. He won in Abu Dhabi from pole last year, after losing a title battle with Verstappen. Piastri, leading from Saudi Arabia in April to Mexico in October, had looked set for Australia's first championship since Alan Jones 45 years ago but is now 16 points behind his teammate. He needs to win or finish second and hope for a twist in the tale -- twice this century the driver who was third overall going into the final round has come out on top. Verstappen, who can join Michael Schumacher as the only drivers to take five titles in a row, could be on for the most astonishing comeback of all after being 104 points behind Piastri in late August. Photo: FLORENT GOODEN / PHOTOSPORT Abu Dhabi has been a happy hunting ground for him in the past, with four wins in a row at the anti-clockwise circuit until last year. Another win, with Norris not on the podium, would suffice. Formula One statistics for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina: Lap distance: 5.281km. Total distance: 306.183km (58 laps) 2024 pole position: Lando Norris (Britain) McLaren, One minute 22.595 seconds. 2024 winner: Norris Race lap record: Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) 1:25.637, Haas, 2024. (The circuit was modified after the 2020 race) Start time: 2am Monday NZ Time (1700 local) Drivers' championship Norris leads Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 12 points, with McLaren's Oscar Piastri a further four behind. There are 25 points to be won. Norris will be champion for the first time on Sunday if he finishes on the podium, ending Verstappen's reign that started amid controversy at Yas Marina in 2021. It will be the 31st time the championship has been decided at the last race. Other permutations are here. Photo: ANTONIN VINCENT / PHOTOSPORT Abu Dhabi Sunday will be the 17th Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and 14th season-ender at the anti-clockwise track. Three current drivers have won at Yas Marina, with five-times winner Lewis Hamilton (2011, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019) the most successful. Verstappen has won four of the last five (2020-2023) and Norris one (2024). Hamilton has been on pole five times. Only once has the winner not started on the front row: Kimi Raikkonen from fourth in 2012 with Lotus. The track has 16 corners and a 1.2km long straight and a one-stop is the usual strategy. Constructors' Championship McLaren clinched the team's 10th constructors' championship, and second in a row, in Singapore in October. Mercedes are second, 33 points clear of Red Bull with 43 still in play. Ferrari are fourth and cannot catch Red Bull or be caught by fifth-placed Williams. McLaren have scored 800 points, the second highest tally in a single season, and cannot break Red Bull's record of 860 set in 2023. Wins Norris, Verstappen and Piastri have each won seven of the 23 races so far. Mercedes' George Russell has won two. Ferrari's seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton has not won since his career 105th victory, with Mercedes, in Belgium on July 28, 2024. Ferrari have not won since October 27 last year and are the only top four team without a win. Verstappen has won 70 grands prix and is third on the all-time list after Michael Schumacher on 91. Pole position Verstappen and Norris have both been on pole seven times this season, Piastri six, Russell twice and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc once. Fifteen of 23 races have been won from pole. McLaren have taken the last four poles. Photo: JAMALI Amin / PHOTOSPORT Podium Norris has been on the podium 17 times, the most of any driver, and Piastri 15. Verstappen has been on the podium for the last nine in a row. Leclerc has been second twice and has seven podiums for the season. Hamilton has yet to stand on the podium for Ferrari since he joined in January. Nine drivers from seven teams have been on the podium in 2025. Points Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto is the only driver on the grid yet to...

Formula 1 revs up for a three-way title showdown

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