Abu Dhabi Grand Prix title decider between Norris, Verstappen and Piastri could hardly be better set up
Norris kept his answers relatively short after qualifying. He looks like he’s working hard to keep himself cool and composed as he’s having the busiest weekend of his career.
This is understandable. Although the path to the title is relatively simple, the fact that Verstappen’s is not one that would make the championship leader’s race uncomfortable.
The race is unlikely to be straightforward, with the title at stake and winning the Grand Prix alone not being good enough for Verstappen, and it remains to be seen what Verstappen and Red Bull might try to throw Norris’ way.
“I have no idea,” Norris said when asked if he expected Verstappen to try to support him in the group. “I’m waiting for everything. So just wait and see.”
Verstappen was asked the same question both in a BBC Sport interview on Thursday and in a press conference after qualifying on Saturday.
The reference here is Lewis Hamilton’s race in 2016; Driving slowly ahead of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, he knew that Rosberg had to finish third to take him to the title, with the aim of knocking him back to Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. It didn’t work.
Verstappen was given this example. His response, in slightly different words both times, was to point out that it would now be more difficult to do this because changes to the track had made the start-stop less frequent.
“It was a different setup,” Verstappen said. he said. “I feel like you’re drifting a lot more now, so it’s not that easy to do.
“I felt it was much easier to support it then because the tires would be warming up. Very different times. I hope the race will not be easy but I hope it’s not because of me.”
He added: “I want to win tomorrow, but even if I win I know it’s not enough. So I’m hoping to have some Abu Dhabi magic behind me. So let’s see what we get. I’m just hoping it’ll be an interesting and fun race.”
This comment about the “Abu Dhabi magic” is a reference to 2010, when Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso entered the race in a very similar situation to this year, ahead of Red Bull’s Mark Webber and Vettel.
Alonso looked confident of winning the championship; until Ferrari overturned its strategy, leaving him stuck in midfield after an early pit stop and spending a painful two-thirds of the race watching his dreams turn to dust. Vettel won the race and took the championship.
