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The finale to the Formula 1 drivers' title is perfectly poised after the three title contenders qualified together at the sharp end of the grid for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen delivered one of the performances of the season – in his stellar career – to secure a blistering pole position.

McLaren's Lando Norris, who enters the race as title leader with a 12-point advantage over Verstappen, is alongside the Dutch driver on the first row.

The British driver's colleague Oscar Piastri, sixteen points behind the summit, will begin from third, with the Mercedes of George Russell on the second row.

The Straightforward Maths for The Leader

For Norris, the maths are simple – his objective is straightforward.

The 26-year-old will be champion for the first occasion if he secures a top-three finish, regardless of what his rivals achieve.

Verstappen, 28, could secure a fifth straight title if he takes victory with Norris finishing fourth, or if he is runner-up and Norris finishes outside seventh.

Australian Piastri, 24, requires some form of drama to befall his competitors if he is to win his first title. He also approaches the race aware that there is a chance he could be asked to yield position and help Norris secure the title if his own hopes are over.

What Moves Will The Challenger Play?

Norris was brief after qualifying fairly concise. He appears striving to keep himself settled and calm as he experiences the most intense weekend of his career.

That's understandable. Even though his path to the title is relatively straightforward, the fact Verstappen's is not threatens to make the championship leader's race an difficult one.

With the title on the line, and winning the grand prix not good enough on its own for Verstappen, the race is unlikely to be simple. The tactics Verstappen may employ to disrupt Norris's race is an open question.

"I don't know," Norris said, when asked whether he anticipated Verstappen to try to back him into the pack. "I expect everything. So we'll find out."

Verstappen was asked the identical query. His answer was to point out that it would be harder to execute now, since track modifications have made it less stop-start.

"It was a different layout," Verstappen said. "In my opinion now you receive a slipstream around a lot more. So it's not as easy to do that."

He continued: "My goal is victory on Sunday, but I also know that that's not enough. So I just hope for some Yas Marina drama that happens behind me. We shall see what we get."

That comment about "Abu Dhabi magic" evokes memories of a historic race where title destiny was completely reversed by strategy errors.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella, who was involved in that agonising race in 2010, has stressed to his team the strength of their season has been and that "setbacks are inevitable".

As Verstappen put it: "Many things can go well for you, can work against you, and we discover tomorrow."

There is also the potential of contact at the opening turn – a situation Piastri and Verstappen were involved in there last year.

Norris, in his position, has the advantage of being able to be cautious at the start.

Piastri, when questioned about action at Turn One, remarked: "Turn One I'm not sure," he said, "{but I'll have some handy."

He was also asked what he had discovered about title deciders. His answer was succinct: "Funny things can happen. That's what I've learnt."

Norris 'Has a Weight on His Shoulders'

For all three, and their teams, the tension will mount in the hours before the race.

Even Verstappen, who has appeared utterly relaxed so far, confessed to some anxiety before qualifying, but said that he used them to help him perform.

Commentator and former champion Damon Hill, offering from experience, emphasised the importance of composure.

"The way through this is to just focus on what you do for a living," Hill said. "You work with the engineers and try to make the car go faster... When you have things rattling around your head, you can't concentrate."

"You know when you lie down in bed at night, there's that gap before you go to sleep? You try sleeping when you might become world champion or not. You need sleep."

"The pressure is immense. It's what you've always wanted. Lando has a weight on his shoulders... on Sunday he'll know whether he has made it and joined that elite group of world champions."

The scene is prepared. The contenders are lined up. The Formula 1 world championship will be settled under the floodlights of Abu Dhabi.