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The finale to the Formula 1 world championship could hardly be better set up after the three title contenders qualified together at the front of the grid for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Red Bull of Max Verstappen delivered a stunning display of the campaign – and of his illustrious career – to secure a blistering pole position.

McLaren's Lando Norris, who enters the race as title leader with a twelve-point lead over Verstappen, is alongside the Dutchman on the first row.

The Briton's colleague Oscar Piastri, 16 points behind the summit, starts third, alongside Mercedes' George Russell on the second row.

The Simple Maths for Norris

For Norris, the equation is clear – and the task looks the same.

The 26-year-old will be champion for the first occasion if he finishes on the podium, irrespective of anyone else's result.

Verstappen, 28, would clinch a fifth straight title if he wins the race with Norris finishing fourth, or if he is second and Norris is lower than seventh.

Australian Piastri, 24, requires some form of drama to happen to his competitors if he is to win his maiden championship. He will also head into the race aware that there is a possibility he could be asked to yield position and assist Norris secure the title if his own chances have faded.

What Moves Will Verstappen Play?

Norris was brief after qualifying relatively short. He appears striving to keep himself composed and focused as he experiences the biggest weekend of his career.

That's understandable. Even though his path to the title is relatively straightforward, the fact Verstappen's is not threatens to make the points leader's race an difficult one.

With the championship at stake, and winning the grand prix not sufficient on its own for Verstappen, the race is probably not going to be simple. What Verstappen and Red Bull might try to disrupt Norris's race remains unknown.

"I don't know," Norris said, when questioned if he expected Verstappen to try to back him into the pack. "I expect everything. So wait and see."

Verstappen was asked the identical query. His answer was to point out that such tactics are more difficult to execute now, as changes to the circuit have made it less stop-start.

"It was a different layout," Verstappen said. "I feel like now you get towed around a lot more. So it's not as easy to do that."

He continued: "I want to win tomorrow, but I also know that that's not enough. So I just hope for some Abu Dhabi magic that unfolds behind me. We shall see what we get."

That remark about "Abu Dhabi magic" is clearly a reference to a past race where championship fate was turned upside down by pitwall miscalculations.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella, who was involved in that agonising race in 2010, has stressed to his team how strong their year has been and that "bumps on the road are inevitable".

As Verstappen summarised: "Many things can work in your favour, can go against you, and we find out tomorrow."

There is also the potential of a collision at the first corner – a scenario Piastri and Verstappen experienced there last year.

Norris, in his favourable position, has the advantage of being able to be cautious at the start.

Piastri, when asked about action at Turn One, remarked: "I'm uncertain about the first corner," he said, "{but I'll have some handy."

He was also asked what he had discovered about title showdowns. His reply was succinct: "Unexpected events can happen. That's what I've learned."

Norris 'Carries the Burden on His Shoulders'

For each contender, and their teams, the pressure will build in the hours before the race.

Even Verstappen, who has appeared utterly relaxed so far, admitted to some nerves before qualifying, but said that he used them to enhance his performance.

Commentator and former champion Damon Hill, speaking from experience, emphasised the importance of calmness.

"How to handle this is to just concentrate on what you do for a living," Hill said. "You speak to the engineers and try to make the car go faster... When you have things rattling around your head, you can't concentrate."

"You know when you lie down in bed at night, there's that moment before you go to sleep? You try sleeping when you might become world champion or not. Rest is essential."

"The pressure is immense. It's what you've always wanted. Lando has a weight on his shoulders... on Sunday he'll know whether he has made it and joined that exclusive club of world champions."

The scene is set. The contenders are in position. The Formula 1 world championship will be decided under the floodlights of Abu Dhabi.