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Formula One, for the archetypal clip since 2010, volition person a three-way conflict for the drivers’ rubric going into the last contention of the play astatine Abu Dhabi this weekend.
Heading into the play finale, McLaren’s Lando Norris leads Max Verstappen by 12 points and is 16 points up of teammate Oscar Piastri. McLaren has been the standout team, having sealed the constructors’ crown 5 races agone successful Singapore. But the British squad has been caught successful a Hobson’s choice, trying to beryllium just to some drivers, and, successful doing so, has near the doorway unfastened for Verstappen to nick it close nether their noses.
And if it happens, it won’t beryllium the archetypal clip successful the athletics oregon adjacent for McLaren.
The astir celebrated lawsuit of 2 teammates warring amongst themselves and allowing a 3rd operator to instrumentality distant the rubric was backmost successful 2007.
That year, McLaren drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton were 7 and 3 points up of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen going into the last circular successful Brazil.
Raikkonen won the past contention with Alonso finishing 3rd and Hamilton seventh, and edged them retired by 1 point.
Similarly, successful 1986, Nigel Mansell was six points up of McLaren’s Alain Prost and 7 up of his Williams teammate Nelson Piquet.
In the last contention successful Adelaide, Mansell suffered a tyre nonaccomplishment portion moving third. Piquet past relinquished the pb to alteration tyres to debar a akin occupation and had to settee for second. This allowed Prost to triumph the contention and the rubric by 2 points.
In 2010, Alonso, successful a Ferrari, led Red Bull’s Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel by 8 and 15 points, respectively, going into the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP.
In that race, Vettel won from pole, portion a strategical blunder successful pitting aboriginal saw Alonso and Webber decorativeness seventh and eighth. Thus, Vettel won his maiden title, beating Alonso by 4 points.
Coming backmost to 2025, Verstappen has fought his mode backmost from being 104 points down 8 races ago. He has won 5 retired of the past 8 events, including the past two, to acceptable up a thrilling finale.
Can the Dutchman propulsion disconnected a heist to clinch his 5th title, oregon volition 1 of the McLaren drivers huff and puff to the crown? All eyes are present connected the Yas Marina Circuit connected Sunday.
Drivers’ standings (top-5):
1. Norris 408; 2. Verstappen 396; 3. Piastri 392; 4. Russell 309; 5. Leclerc 230.
