F1: Season's last word

September 7. Monza Circuit in Italy. Thirteenth race. Till that morning, the F1 season was all about the rampaging McLarens driven by Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who won seven and five races, respectively. After four years dominated by Max Verstappen, it was these two youngsters who hogged the limelight and the podium, with Max, a bona fide legend of the sport, increasingly looking like a has-been who was trailing Piastri by 104 points. But it all changed on that day in Italy, a twist in the script that none saw coming.

Verstappen, who had won only two of the twelve races, came first at Monza. Then he won the next race in Azerbaijan. He followed it up with victories in the US Grand Prix, and consecutive races in Las Vegas GP and Qatar to end with five wins in eight races since that day.

That, however, was not the only twist in this season’s tale. Piastri, who looked in ominous form, won at the Netherlands, the first race after the summer break, and was third at Monza. In the seven races after that, the Australian did not finish on the podium, while Norris won two of those.

As things stand on Saturday, December 6, on the eve of the season finale at Abu Dhabi, all three have won seven games each (the remaining two bagged by George Russel of Mercedes.

Norris has 408 points, Verstappen has 396, and Piastri sits on 392. For the first time since 2010, more than two drivers will enter the season’s last race with a shot at the drivers’ championship. Norris will be crowned champion if he finishes on the podium, regardless of where the other two place.

The title may go to Norris. But the story of the season is that of Verstappen, who is on the cusp of securing a record-equalling fifth consecutive title, matching Michael Schumacher.

How Verstappen clawed his way back

When Formula One returned from the summer break, Piastri led the standings with 284 points, nine ahead of Norris, and 97 ahead of Verstappen. After the Netherlands, the gap widened further. Piastri had 309, Norris 275, and Verstappen only 205.

The turnaround began at Monza, where Verstappen dominated from pole. Norris finished second and Piastri third. It was the last time Piastri stood on the podium at the time of writing. Verstappen cut his deficit to Piastri to 94 points.

In Azerbaijan, Piastri endured a disastrous weekend. He crashed in qualifying, jumped the start, and then hit the barrier on lap one. Verstappen cruised to victory and Norris could manage only seventh.

In Singapore, McLaren’s internal tensions spilled for the world to watch. Norris made contact with Piastri while trying to avoid Verstappen at turn three. Piastri asked on the radio if the team management was fine with Lando pushing him aside. While the drama played out, Mercedes’s Russell won the race, Verstappen came second, Norris third, and Piastri fourth. Verstappen cut the gap to Piastri to 63 points.

The United States Grand Prix saw Verstappen return to the top of the podium, while McLaren collided again and the damage was clear. Norris was third, and Piastri finished fifth. Verstappen trimmed his deficit to Piastri to 40.

Mexico brought another twist. Piastri lost the championship lead for the first time. Norris won to loud jeers, Leclerc finished second, and Verstappen came third, which reduced the gap to Piastri to 35 points.

At Sao Paulo, Piastri slid into the barrier in the sprint and salvaged little over the weekend. Norris executed another flawless run and finished ahead of Verstappen, who nevertheless cut the gap to Piastri to 25 points.

Norris’s Sao Paulo radio exchange is already a defining moment of the season, capturing as it did the paddock’s obsession with Verstappen. “It’s beautiful,” Norris said after taking the pole. And then this happened:

Norris on mic: Where is Max?

Norris: Max is like P10 already…

Engineer: It does not matter about Max…

Audio: Race leader Verstappen.

Norris: I knew it.

Then came Las Vegas. Both McLarens were disqualified for skid block thickness violations in what became one of the most damaging errors in the team’s modern history. Norris and Piastri lost their second and fourth-place finishes. Verstappen drew level with Piastri on points and narrowed the deficit to Norris to 24.

At Qatar earlier this week, the race was McLaren’s to lose. And that exactly is what they did. A safety car on lap seven saw most of the grid, including Verstappen, dive into the pits. But McLaren told race leader Piastri and third-placed Norris to stay out. With heavy tyre wear at Qatar effectively making the race a two-stop affair, Verstappen restarted behind Piastri, needing only one stop, while both McLarens needed two.

Verstappen surged past Piastri and won the race with ease, while Norris slipped to fourth behind Carlos Sainz. It marked Verstappen’s fifth win in eight races and set up Abu Dhabi for a monumental title showdown.

Comebacks of this scale are not new in Formula One. In 2000, Mika Hakkinen overturned a large deficit and even led Michael Schumacher late in the season before eventually finishing runner-up. Further into the past, Nigel Mansell pushed Ayrton Senna close before a disqualification in Portugal swung the title firmly back to Senna.

McLaren’s downfall has been largely self-inflicted. Strategy errors in Qatar, disqualification in Las Vegas, and driver mistakes in Canada all contributed to the collapse.

Abu Dhabi now holds the final chapter. There could be further drama in store. For instance, things could get interesting if Norris runs fourth and Piastri third - will McLaren ask Piastri to move aside to help Norris win the title?

There’s plenty of drama in store as the racing world prepares for a blockbuster finale. Whatever Abu Dhabi brings, the 2025 season will be discussed for years.