The Japan Times - Formula One title showdown: the road to Abu Dhabi

Even though Max Verstappen had collected a fourth successive title in 2024, the pace of the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the second half of the season suggested that this year would be tight.

And so it has proved with the three of them still slugging away for the title as the 24-race season comes to a conclusion in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, with Norris 12 points ahead of Verstappen and Piastri a further four points back.

AFP looks back at some of the key moments that built up to such a gripping climax:

- China service -

If the season started well for McLaren with victory for Norris in Melbourne, it was near perfect in the second race in Shanghai as Piastri led home a 1-2 that sent a warning through the pitlane.

The McLarens were undoubtedly the best cars on the grid -- it would take something special to stop them.

Verstappen finished fourth for Red Bull but the team announced later that his teammate Liam Lawson was being demoted with immediate effect to their sister Racing Bulls team, to be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda.

- Miami vice -

Piastri began to emerge as the dominant McLaren driver and their likely world champion as he picked up three wins on the bounce: in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Miami to make it four wins from the first six races.

That win in Miami extended his lead over Norris to 16 points.

It was also a difficult weekend for Verstappen, who finished 17th in the sprint -- his first pointless finish in any race format since the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix -- and then fourth in the main race after starting on pole.

- Horner exit -

There were rumblings across the paddock in the first half of the season that all was not well at Red Bull and had not been since the storm in 2024 when a female team employee had accused principal Christian Horner of sexual misconduct.

At the beginning of July, Verstappen's car was struggling to keep pace with the McLarens, which led to whispers that Mercedes were lining up a bid to snatch him away.

Red Bull needed to act and did so by sacking Horner.

It was not an instant fix, but in his third race under new principal Laurent Mekies, at home in the Netherlands, Verstappen was back on the podium.

He still trailed championship leader Piastri by 104 points but went on to win the next two races at Monza and Azerbaijan.

- Bump 'n bruise -

McLaren kept Verstappen in the reckoning by allowing their two drivers to race each other without team instructions.

That led to some rough and tumble on the track with Norris not finishing in Canada after slamming into Piastri.

Norris apologised but showed a tougher streak when he barged past Piastri for a podium in Singapore, the race that secured McLaren the constructors' title with six races still left.

Piastri was furious but Norris this time maintained his right to fight. The gloves were off.

- Leaving Las Vegas -

After two Norris victories in Mexico City and Sao Paulo, the title looked to be heading the way of the Briton who had hauled in Piastri's 32-point lead and now held a 24-point advantage with three races remaining.

He could not win the title in Las Vegas but he could knock Verstappen out of the race.

Instead, it was the Dutchman who came out smiling after overtaking pole-sitter Norris on the first turn and holding the lead all the way to the chequered flag.

Norris was second and Piastri fourth -- until a stewards' investigation disqualified both McLarens for a technical infringement. Crucial points lost for both drivers.

A week later in Qatar, the two McLaren drivers were again let down again by their team.

Quickest all weekend and with Piastri leading, they were the only cars not to come in to change tyres during a safety car period. That handed the initiative to Verstappen, who made it two wins in a row and cranked up the spice for the final race of the season.

S.Yamamoto--JT