Ahead of the decisive weekend of the season, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri shared a press conference marked by tension that felt as inevitable as it was palpable. Yet the Dutchman once again set himself apart with his tone. Completely calm, the Red Bull driver made it clear he feels no pressure and approaches the final race of the year as an unexpected bonus: “I’m very relaxed, I have nothing to lose. I want to enjoy it and see what happens.”

For Verstappen, the emotional value of the championship has changed. He recalled that he already has “four identical trophies” at home and that a fifth would not alter his legacy. After a first half of the year filled with frustration and tense meetings over the car’s performance, his comeback in the last few races placed him in the title fight when almost no one expected it. That sense of release has allowed him to race with less weight on his shoulders, adopting an aggressive yet uninhibited approach: the same one he showed in Qatar and promises to repeat in Abu Dhabi.

“I’ve already achieved everything I wanted in F1. Anything that comes after is a bonus. I’ll try to maximize the result, although I don’t think we’ll be the fastest. But as we’ve seen, a lot of things can happen,” the reigning champion said.

Norris and Piastri face pressure and internal uncertainty

The situation is different inside the McLaren garage, where Lando Norris arrives carrying the responsibility of defending the championship lead. Although he tried to project calm, his own analysis hinted at the emotional weight of the moment: “I guess I’m the one with the most to lose.” The Brit insisted he doesn’t want to think about hypothetical scenarios and said he will not ask for team orders: “Piastri letting me through? We haven’t talked about it, and I’m not going to ask for it.”

Norris, aware that Abu Dhabi represents a historic opportunity, tried to simplify the context, trusting that the pressure will not affect his performance. Still, he acknowledged that becoming champion would be “a lifelong dream” and a defining achievement for those who have supported him since the beginning.

Meanwhile, Piastri also presented himself with composure. He considers himself “the one with the least to lose,” though he did not rule out helping his teammate if needed. The Australian feels strengthened by his performance in Qatar but understands he would need several external factors to fall his way to fight for the title.

Between relaxed speeches, strategic silences, and contained pressure, the weekend is shaping up to be an explosive finale: three contenders, three different realities, and a championship that could hinge on the smallest detail.