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The finale to the F1 world championship could hardly be better set up after the triple championship challengers qualified together at the front of the grid for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen put in one of the performances of the season – and of his illustrious career – to secure a blistering pole position.

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

The Briton's colleague Oscar Piastri, sixteen points off the summit, will begin from third, alongside Mercedes' George Russell on the row two.

The Simple Maths 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 time if he finishes on the podium, regardless of what his rivals achieve.

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

Australian Piastri, 24, needs some form of drama 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 could be asked to yield position and help Norris win if his own chances have faded.

What Cards Will Verstappen Play?

Norris kept his answers after qualifying relatively short. He appears striving to keep himself composed and focused as he navigates the biggest weekend of his career.

That's understandable. Even though his route to the championship is seemingly simple, the fact Verstappen's is not threatens to make the championship leader's race an uncomfortable 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 remains unknown.

"I don't know," 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 faced the same question. His answer was to note that such tactics are more difficult to execute now, since track modifications 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 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 happens behind me. We shall see what we get."

That comment about "drama at Yas Marina" evokes memories of a past race where title destiny was turned upside down by strategy errors.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, who experienced that agonising race in 2010, has stressed to his team the strength of their year has been and that "bumps on the road are inevitable".

As Verstappen summarised: "A lot can go well for you, can work against you, and we find out tomorrow."

There is also the possibility of a collision at the opening turn – a scenario Piastri and Verstappen experienced there last year.

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

Piastri, when questioned about excitement at Turn One, said: "Turn One I'm not sure," he said, "{but I'll have some popcorn ready."

He was also asked what he had learned about title deciders. 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 tension will mount in the hours before the race.

Even Verstappen, who has looked relaxation personified so far, confessed to some anxiety before qualifying, but said that he fed off them to help him perform.

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

"How to handle this is to just concentrate 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."

"It's like 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 has a weight on his shoulders... on Sunday he'll know whether he has made it and joined that exclusive club of title winners."

The scene is prepared. The contenders are lined up. The F1 world championship will be settled under the floodlights of Abu Dhabi.