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

Red Bull's Max Verstappen put in a stunning display of the season – and of his illustrious career – to take a scintillating pole position.

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

The Briton's team-mate Oscar Piastri, 16 points behind the lead, starts third, with Mercedes' George Russell on the row two.

The Straightforward Maths for Norris

For Norris, the equation is clear – his objective is straightforward.

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

Verstappen, 28, could secure a fifth consecutive title if he takes victory with Norris finishing fourth, or if he is second and Norris finishes outside seventh.

Australian Piastri, 24, needs some kind of misfortune to befall his competitors if he is to win his maiden championship. He will also head into the race aware that there is a possibility he might be instructed to move aside and assist Norris secure the title if his own chances have faded.

What Moves Will The Challenger Play?

Norris kept his answers after qualifying fairly concise. He appears striving to keep himself composed and focused as he experiences 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 could render the championship leader's race an uncomfortable one.

With the championship at stake, and taking race victory not good enough on its own for Verstappen, the race is probably not going to be simple. The tactics Verstappen may employ to get in Norris' way is an open question.

"I don't know," Norris said, when asked whether he expected Verstappen to try to slow him into the pack. "I expect everything. So wait and see."

Verstappen faced the identical query. His answer was to note that it would be harder to execute now, since changes to the circuit have made it more flowing.

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

He continued: "I want to win tomorrow, but I also know that victory alone is insufficient. So I just hope for some Abu Dhabi magic that unfolds behind me. So let's see what we get."

That remark about "Abu Dhabi magic" is clearly a reference to a historic race where championship fate was turned upside down by pitwall miscalculations.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella, who experienced that painful race in 2010, has emphasised to his team how strong their season has been and that "bumps on the road are inevitable".

As Verstappen summarised: "Many things can work in your favour, can work against you, and we find out tomorrow."

There is also the potential of contact at the first corner – a scenario 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 asked about excitement at Turn One, said: "Turn One I'm not sure," he said, "{but I'll have some popcorn ready."

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

Norris 'Carries the Burden on His Shoulders'

For each contender, and their teams, the pressure will mount in the hours before the race.

Even Verstappen, who has looked relaxation personified so far, confessed to some nerves before qualifying, but said that he fed off them to enhance his performance.

Commentator and ex-title winner Damon Hill, speaking from experience, highlighted the critical nature 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... Once 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."

"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 crossed that threshold and joined that elite group of world champions."

The stage is set. The contenders are in position. The Formula 1 world championship will be settled under the floodlights of Abu Dhabi.