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The climax to the Formula 1 drivers' title could hardly be better set up after the three title contenders qualified together at the sharp end of the grid for Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Red Bull of Max Verstappen delivered one of the performances of the campaign – and of his illustrious career – to take a blistering pole position.

The McLaren driver Lando Norris, who heads into the race as championship favourite with a 12-point advantage over Verstappen, is alongside the Dutch driver on the front row.

The British driver's colleague Oscar Piastri, 16 points off the lead, starts third, alongside Mercedes' George Russell on the second row.

The Straightforward Maths for The Leader

For Norris, the maths are simple – and the task looks the same.

The 26 year old will be champion for the first occasion if he secures a top-three finish, regardless of anyone else's result.

Verstappen, 28, would clinch a fifth straight title if he takes victory with Norris finishing fourth, or if he is second and Norris is lower than seventh.

The Australian Piastri, 24, needs some kind of misfortune to happen to his competitors if he is to claim his first title. He will also head into the race knowing that there is a possibility he could be asked to move aside and help Norris win if his own hopes are over.

What Moves Will Verstappen Play?

Norris was brief after qualifying relatively short. He appears working hard to keep himself settled and calm as he navigates the most intense weekend of his career.

That's understandable. Although his route to the championship is relatively straightforward, the fact Verstappen's is not threatens to make the points leader's race an difficult one.

With the championship at stake, and taking race victory not sufficient on its own for Verstappen, the race is probably not going to be simple. The tactics Verstappen may employ to disrupt Norris's race remains unknown.

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

Verstappen faced the same question. His response was to point out that it would be harder to execute now, as changes to the circuit have made it less stop-start.

"It was a different layout," Verstappen stated. "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 victory alone is insufficient. So I just hope for some Yas Marina drama that happens behind me. So let's see what we get."

That remark about "drama at Yas Marina" is clearly a reference to a historic race where championship fate was completely reversed by strategy errors.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, who experienced that agonising race in 2010, has emphasised to his team how strong their year has been and that "bumps on the road are unavoidable".

As Verstappen put it: "A lot can work in your favour, can go against you, and we find out tomorrow."

There is also the potential of a collision at the first corner – a situation Piastri and Verstappen were involved in there last year.

Norris, in his position, has the luxury of being able to be conservative at the start.

Piastri, when questioned about action at Turn One, remarked: "I'm uncertain about the first corner," he said, "{but I'll have some handy."

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

Norris 'Carries the Burden 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, admitted to some nerves before qualifying, but said that he used them to help him perform.

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

"How to handle 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 moment before you go to sleep? You try sleeping when you can be world champion or not. You need sleep."

"It's intense. 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 exclusive club of world champions."

The stage is prepared. The contenders are in position. The F1 world championship will be settled under the floodlights of Abu Dhabi.