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The climax to the F1 drivers' title could hardly be better set up after the triple championship challengers qualified together at the sharp end of the starting lineup for Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Red Bull of Max Verstappen put in a stunning display of the campaign – and of his illustrious career – to secure a scintillating pole position.

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

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

The Simple Equation for The Leader

For Norris, the equation is clear – 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 runner-up and Norris is lower than seventh.

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

What Moves Will Verstappen Play?

Norris kept his answers after qualifying relatively short. He appears working hard to keep himself composed and focused as he experiences the biggest 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 points leader's race an uncomfortable one.

With the title on the line, 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 disrupt Norris's race is an open question.

"No idea," Norris said, when asked whether he expected Verstappen to try to slow him into the pack. "I expect everything. So we'll find out."

Verstappen was asked the identical query. His answer was to note that such tactics are more difficult to execute now, as changes to the circuit have made it more flowing.

"The track was configured differently," Verstappen stated. "I feel like now you get towed around a lot more. So it's not as easy to do that."

He added: "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 "drama at Yas Marina" evokes memories of a past race where championship fate was completely reversed by strategy errors.

McLaren team principal 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 put it: "A lot can go well for you, can go against you, and we discover tomorrow."

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

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

Piastri, when asked about excitement 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 learned about title showdowns. His answer was succinct: "Unexpected events can happen. That's what I've learnt."

Norris 'Has a Weight on His Shoulders'

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

Even Verstappen, who has looked relaxation personified so far, admitted to some anxiety before qualifying, but said that he used them to enhance his performance.

Commentator and ex-title winner Damon Hill, speaking from experience, emphasised the importance of composure.

"The way through this is to just concentrate 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 rattling around your head, you can't concentrate."

"It's like when you lie down in bed at night, there's that moment before you go to sleep? You try sleeping when you might become world champion or not. Rest is essential."

"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 protagonists are lined up. The F1 world championship will be settled under the lights of Abu Dhabi.