Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
For the first time since 2009, when the Etihad Airways Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was first held at the Yas Marina Circuit, motorsport fans in the region will see a F1 season decision going down to the wire.
In the final approach to the 2025 season, it seemed the only pinch of drama would be to see which of the two McLaren drivers in the lead – Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri – would reach the finishing post first while defending champion Max Verstappen had given up in August. His title defence was short by 104 points at that stage.
But two successive disastrous turn of events have handed the momentum back in Verstappen's lap, so much that he has started adding fuel to fire by playing mind games as he is now only 12 points adrift of leader Norris and suddenly second favourite to win the championship, his fifth world title.
McLaren had both cars disqualified for a technical error in Las Vegas and then, in Qatar, took the decision not to pit both cars at the same time under the safety car on Lap seven when every other driver pitted.
It was a basic blunder made because they wanted to maintain fairness and a two-car stop with race leader Piastri coming in first ahead of Norris, who was third on track behind Verstappen, would have disadvantaged the Briton.
As the drivers arrive at the Zayed International Airport, barely a few kilometres away from the race track, Verstappen has wedged himself between Norris and Piastri, four points behind Verstappen, and is now ensuring any self-doubts for Norris gets amplified in the three-way desert duel.
"Potentially, I would have lost time," said Norris in Doha on Sunday night. "A bit of time, maybe. I wouldn't have lost a position, I don't think. But there's nothing I can do about it."
Piastri said: "On a personal level, I feel like I've lost a win. In hindsight, it's pretty obvious what we should have done. It's gut-wrenchingly painful for me."
McLaren got boxed in by an error of judgement at a crucial time to persist with their own "papaya rules" that require complete equality in support and opportunity for both Norris and Piastri. Now the safest course of action going forward would be to issue team orders that require Piastri to support Norris and secure the prized trophy.
While Zak Brown, the chief executive officer, who has championed giving both drivers equal backing, compared Doha's developments to a horror movie monster, Verstappen has laughed at McLaren's mistakes. Invited them to call him "Chucky", after the serial-killer doll, he has tried to get under McLaren's corporate skin with a confident swagger.
"On pure pace, it will be tough in Abu Dhabi," he said. "But a race like today shows that it's not always straightforward at a Grand Prix and a lot can happen. So, I'm probably relying a bit on that. It's all possible now, of course. We'll see... I don't really worry about it too much."
Norris can take the title if he finishes on the podium or at least finish in the top three. Yet, when you have a set target to achieve and judging from the jitters of last month, it may not be as simple as that for McLaren.
