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The finale to the F1 world championship 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 put in one of the performances of the campaign – and of his illustrious career – to take a blistering pole position.

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

The Briton's colleague Oscar Piastri, sixteen points off the lead, starts third, with Mercedes' George Russell on the second row.

The Simple Equation 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 finishes on the podium, regardless of anyone else's result.

Verstappen, 28, would clinch a fifth straight title if he takes victory with Norris in fourth, or if he is runner-up and Norris is lower than seventh.

The Australian Piastri, 24, requires some form of drama to befall his competitors if he is to win his maiden championship. He also approaches the race aware that there is a possibility he might be instructed to move aside and help Norris secure the title if his own hopes are over.

What Cards Will The Challenger Play?

Norris kept his answers after qualifying fairly concise. He appears working hard to keep himself composed and focused as he navigates the biggest weekend of his career.

This is logical. Even though his route to the championship is relatively straightforward, the fact Verstappen's is not threatens to make the championship leader's race an difficult one.

With the championship at stake, 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 questioned if he expected Verstappen to try to back him into the pack. "Anything is possible. So we'll find out."

Verstappen was asked 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.

"The track was configured differently," Verstappen said. "I feel like 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 that's not enough. So I just hope for some Abu Dhabi magic that unfolds behind me. We shall see what we get."

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

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, who was involved in that painful race in 2010, has emphasised to his team how strong their year has been and that "setbacks are unavoidable".

As Verstappen put it: "Many things can work in your favour, can work against you, and we discover tomorrow."

There is also the possibility of contact at the first corner – a scenario Piastri and Verstappen experienced there last year.

Norris, in his favourable position, has the advantage of being able to be cautious 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 popcorn ready."

He was also queried what he had discovered about title deciders. His reply was succinct: "Unexpected events can happen. That's what I've learned."

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, admitted to some anxiety before qualifying, but said that he fed off them to enhance his performance.

Commentator and former champion Damon Hill, speaking from experience, emphasised the critical nature of calmness.

"The way through this is to just focus on what you do for a living," Hill said. "You speak to the engineers and try to make the car go faster... Once you have things on your mind, 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 can be world champion or not. You need sleep."

"It's intense. It's what you've always wanted. Lando carries a burden on his shoulders... on Sunday he'll know whether he has crossed that threshold and joined that exclusive club of world champions."

The stage is prepared. The protagonists are in position. The F1 world championship will be decided under the lights of Abu Dhabi.