Overview
- Lando Norris leads the standings on 408 points, with Max Verstappen on 396 and Oscar Piastri on 392 heading into the race.
- Max Verstappen qualified first ahead of Norris (P2) and Piastri (P3), with George Russell fourth and Charles Leclerc fifth after Verstappen’s Q3 lap clear by roughly two tenths.
- The title permutations are clear: Norris clinches with any podium; Verstappen must win with Norris fourth or lower; Piastri needs a win with Norris no higher than sixth, among other scenarios.
- McLaren has indicated it may use team orders if required to secure Norris’s crown, while Pirelli projects a two‑stop strategy as quickest and late safety cars remain a realistic factor at Yas Marina.
- Support dynamics look limited for Verstappen with Yuki Tsunoda starting 10th, and Lewis Hamilton’s tough weekend continued with an FP3 crash and a Q1 exit leaving him 16th on the grid.