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With barely any space to squeeze through the dozen-row deep horde of reporters and photographers, the three Formula One championship protagonists entered their first arena of the weekend. The FIA have been prone to lapses in common sense at times but, to the delight of all present, F1’s governing body grouped together the top three on Thursday. It made for a background buzz rarely seen in modern-day sporting press conferences.
Lando Norris, leader by 12 points, did his best to defuse the enormity of the occasion. “It’s the same as every weekend, nothing changes,” he began. Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, flanking the Briton on either side, echoed a similar sentiment. This was all their years of media training at the most simplistic level.
Moments later, a Brazilian reporter couldn’t help but remark: “You all say it’s a normal weekend but, well… it’s not.” This seemed the appropriate cut-through moment.
In top spot, Norris is on the brink of becoming Britain’s 11th F1 world champion, in the sport’s 75th year, and the first McLaren champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2008. Verstappen could become just the fourth man to win five world titles. Piastri, 16 points off with only 25 to play for, is looking to become Australia’s first champion in 45 years. Yes, it’s not a normal weekend.
Not least because of the last two rounds, in which McLaren have already scuppered both their drivers in disastrous acts of self-sabotage. First, with the double disqualifications in Vegas, which opened the door for Red Bull’s Verstappen, before last week’s strategy screw-up in Qatar.
The latter error drew criticisms of McLaren’s steadfast – arguably to a fault – defiance to not prioritise either driver. All of which raises the tantalising prospect on Sunday: with Norris needing just a podium, would Piastri simply move aside if instructed by his team?
Piastri, smiling as the inevitable question was asked ten minutes in, placed an early serve in the team’s court. “It’s not something we’ve discussed,” said the cool-headed Australian. “I don’t have an answer until I know what’s expected of me.”
A day on, we now know the answer. McLaren CEO Zak Brown confirmed on Friday that the team will invoke team orders, should such a situation arise, in order to thwart Verstappen winning his fifth title. “We’re not going to throw away a driver’s championship,” the American stated.
Perhaps the Netflix microphones can find their way in, but it’d be quite something to be a fly on the wall for McLaren’s customary pre-race meeting on Sunday morning. By that point, of course, the grid positions for the 58-lap grand prix will be set.
“It’s up to Oscar if he’d allow it, it’s not down to me,” Norris acknowledged, before squeezing an underlying message in.
“Would I be willing to [cede position for a title] or not? Personally, I would – that’s how I am. I’m not going to ask for it as I don’t think it’s a fair question.
“But if that’s how it ends and Max wins, well done to him, we go to next year. It won’t change my life.”
This was a mantra repeatedly uttered by the 26-year-old. “My life won’t change,” he said. Twenty years since he drove a go-kart for the first time, and after millions of pounds of parental investment and thousands of hours away from home, it was a throwaway remark fooling nobody.
It often feels this way with Norris, the baby-faced, mild-mannered Somerset racer, keen to impose a hard exterior amid the rumble of a World Championship fight. Numerous answers on Thursday started with “I dunno” before, thankfully, a more considered and detailed response. McLaren had removed all other media duties for both drivers; there really was little excuse for a lack of engagement.
Mercifully, he removed the wooden mask when queried on the deep emotion of Sunday’s occasion and potential result: what would it mean to you to be an F1 world champion?
Looking briefly to his left at the silver championship trophy, Norris admitted: “This has been my whole life, it’s everything I’ve worked towards. It’d mean the world to me and to everyone who’s pushed me for the last 16 years of my life, trying to get to this point.
“It would mean everything… and it would be a reward for a lot of hard work.”
For Piastri, he simply stated it would be “pretty cool”. He added: “I won’t get my hopes up too high. Max is the most qualified to say this… but I think you move on pretty quick.”
That was the other blatant undertone to the half-hour Q&A. Though all three broke rank at times with quick-witted replies, the indomitable Verstappen has rarely looked more relaxed. The Dutchman sealed his first title amid the drama of 2021 and, should the typical season-deciding chaos transpire on Sunday, he will undeniably be best-placed to deal with whatever situation is thrown in front of him.
A year on from his fiery squabble with George Russell here, Verstappen is at a different phase of his life. While Norris and Piastri relaxed by playing golf and padel in the last few days, the Dutchman spent time with his six-month-old daughter, alongside preparations for his GT3 and simulator racing teams next year.
Perhaps the magnitude of the occasion for each driver is best represented by the family members in attendance. Understandably, Norris and Piastri will both have their parents present on Yas Island on Sunday but Verstappen, 104 points back in August, will not have such on-site support.
“My dad is rallying in Africa [competing in the East African Safari Classic in Kenya] and my mum is at home, happy with the dogs,” he said. “They were not expecting to be here – all plans were cancelled after Zandvoort [in August.].
“I don’t need them here to motivate me. My Mum lights a candle before every race weekend… but I guess they trust their son.”
They’d be right to. Verstappen has all the momentum, with five wins in the last eight races, and the know-how when the pressure is at its highest. McLaren have already fumbled this championship twice – a third time would gift Red Bull the most unfathomable of world championships.
It was only practice on Friday, but Norris carved out the slimmest of edges heading into the weekend. In the first session, he pipped Verstappen to top spot by just 0.009 seconds and, a few hours later, his advantage was 0.363 seconds in FP2. More of the same in the sessions that matter will be enough to pencil Norris in with the elites.
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