Norris-Verstappen-Piastri title decider: Where F1 championship may be won and lost in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The pressure is certainly greater on Norris than anyone else.

All year, McLaren have looked like the team who will deliver the drivers’ title, and he is the man leading the championship.

At the same time, this is his first chance to win the title, and McLaren’s first drivers’ title chance since Hamilton won in 2008.

Yes, Hamilton was in mathematical contention in 2010, but 24 points behind with only 25 available, so not really in the picture.

In addition, McLaren have been fundamentally restructured since then, and while team principal Andrea Stella has been involved in title fights previously – working with Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso – most of the team have not.

Their relative rawness has shown at times this year, especially in Qatar, when they were the only team not to take the opportunity to pit under a safety car, and lost the win as a result.

There will likely have been some soul-searching and in-depth analysis in the past days as a consequence. Some anxiety and nervousness would be understandable.

Red Bull and Verstappen, meanwhile, are fully versed in this situation. They have won the past four drivers’ titles and are a ruthless, finely honed winning machine.

And as a team and driver who have done it before, and in addition did not expect to be in this situation, the pressure is off.

Verstappen has repeatedly said “it won’t change my life” whether he wins or not.

After Qatar, he said: “It shows everything is possible. We have nothing to lose so I just go there and try to maximise the car and hope we can be a little bit more competitive than here but we’ll see.”