Abu Dhabi F1 title showdown looms larger after Norris, Piastri disqualified

Dubai: It is as if the Formula 1 title race is destined to be decided at the Yas Marina Circuit.

With McLaren’s Lando Norris having finished second behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the Las Vegas Grand Prix yesterday and ready to head into the final two race weekends in Qatar and Abu Dhabi with a 30-point lead over his closest rival and teammate Oscar Piastri and a commanding 42-point lead over Verstappen with just 58 points up for grabs, the British driver must have been licking his lips in anticipation of celebrating his maiden F1 title sooner rather than later.

But three hours after the race concluded, the FIA summoned McLaren to see the stewards for technical infringements.

It was found that the measured thickness on the skid wear on McLarens failed to meet the minimum thickness requirement of 9mm. Skid wear is the wear on the protective plank on the underside of the cars, and Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg were disqualified for the same infraction earlier this year. The infringements meant both McLaren drivers were stripped of all points earned in Las Vegas.

The DQ's made for a wild swing in the standings. Norris’ lead over Verstappen was cut to just 24 points, with the Dutchman catching up with Piastri for second in the standings.

The four-time world champion, already on a purple patch in the second half of the season, having finished on the podium eight times in-a-row since Hungary and winning four of those races plus a sprint race, will now hope to grab the opportunity to fight for a fifth world title in Abu Dhabi. And just for the record, Verstappen has won the last two races in Qatar and four of the last five at Abu Dhabi.

Following his victory in Las Vegas and before the DQs, Verstappen had said:  "It's still a big gap, we always try and maximise everything we've got.

"We've had an up-and-down season and tough times, but also some really beautiful moments. We learnt a lot throughout the whole season and that's always very valuable for the upcoming years."

The twin disqualifications will be a big blow for Norris and an even bigger one for Piastri, whose season has unraveled spectacularly, for having once held a 34-point advantage in the drivers’ championship over Norris since his victory at the Dutch Grand Prix in August, the Australian is now staring at the prospect of picking up the pieces in Abu Dhabi and looking back at what might have been.

As for Norris, while a 24-point lead is still a healthy one – he can win the title in Qatar if he earns two more points than both Verstappen and Piastri over the course of the weekend that also has a sprint race to add to the drama – the Las Vegas incident has proved that nothing can be taken for granted in what is surely one of the most exciting and closest three-way title races one has seen Formula 1. And if Verstappen somehow manages to win his fifth title come Abu Dhabi on December 7, it will surely be one of the greatest comebacks in Formula 1 history.