Red Bull's Max Verstappen has his fourth Formula One title within reach after a stunning drive to victory from 17th on the grid in Brazil on Sunday dealt a shattering blow to Lando Norris' hopes.
Norris, who started the wet and chaotic Sao Paulo race on pole position and 44 points behind Verstappen, finished sixth for McLaren.
The title gap blew out to 62 points with three rounds remaining and 86 points still to be won.
What does Verstappen's win mean for Abu Dhabi?
The 2024 season concludes on December 8 with the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit.
Race fans still hold hope that the race will go down to the wire, though Verstappen's victory at Interlagos has made the window for Norris much smaller.
If results go his way, Verstappen could hit the championship jackpot in the next race down the floodlit Las Vegas Strip on November 24.
To clinch a fourth successive drivers' title, Verstappen simply needs to finish ahead of Norris at the next race in Las Vegas.
Outside of outright victory, Verstappen will automatically take the title if Norris doesn’t outscore him by at least three points in Vegas – while even if Verstappen fails to score, Norris would still need to finish at least 8th or 9th with a fastest lap point.
What does Norris need to do?
Norris will aim to take his challenge all the way to the final two rounds in the Middle East, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
The Briton's best hope would be to take the chequered flag in Vegas and see his Red Bull rival fails to finish.
If the opposite were to happen, it would effectively signal the end of Norris' title bid.
Verstappen has only failed to finish once in the last 69 races, a brake failure prematurely ending his race at this year's Australian GP.
Norris last failed to finish a race in June at the Austrian GP when a collision with his Red Bull rival when fighting over the race lead rendered the car undrivable.
Victories in the three remaining races now has to be Norris' main aim, and hope that Verstappen fails to cross the line in a couple as well.
Is anyone else in contention?
Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri are no longer in the running for the drivers’ title post-Sao Paulo.
Leclerc is currently 86 points adrift of Verstappen in third, with 86 points left available. In the unlikely event that Leclerc won every race, took all the bonus points and won the Sprint in Qatar, and Verstappen failed to score again, the duo would tie at the end of the season, but Verstappen would win based on victory count.
As for Piastri, he is now 131 points behind Verstappen after a disappointing race in Brazil, so can no longer take the title.
A more realistic target for Ferrari driver Leclerc – an impressive winner in the USA and third in Mexico – would be tracking down Norris for second. The Monegasque driver sits 24 points behind Norris.
Conclusion
Verstappen's win in Brazil means it is highly unlikely, though not impossible, we will get a championship decider in Abu Dhabi.
Yas Marina Circuit was the setting of the most dramatic finish in F1 history in 2021.
Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen arrived in the UAE locked on 369.5 points apiece ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP, an epic winner-takes-all title decider that had fans gripped.
Up until a late safety car stoppage, Mercedes' Hamilton looked set to claim his eighth world title with ease, but that all changed on Lap 53 when Nicholas Latifi crashed at corner 14 which brought out a very late safety car on lap 53.
Verstappen pitted onto new soft tyres whilst Hamilton stayed out on the hards, assuming that it would be enough to cross the line in the lead to seal his eighth world title. Instead, the FIA had other ideas and even though lapped cars stayed in position to begin with, five of the seven were allowed to eventually pass Hamilton, which put Verstappen right behind him.
With one lap to go, the safety car then came into the pits. On his much newer tyres, Verstappen cruised past Hamilton to take the first of his three world drivers' championship titles.
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,410m
Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Switzerland, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner Lord Giltters, Adrie de Vries, David O’Meara
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
9.25pm Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Land Of Legends, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
10pm Dubai Dash Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,000m
Winner Equilateral, Frankie Dettori, Charles Hills.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 611bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Price: upon application
On sale: now
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Company%20profile
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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More on animal trafficking
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
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more from Janine di Giovanni
Euro 2020
Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Wales, Turkey
Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland
Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria,
Georgia/Kosovo/Belarus/North Macedonia
Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Scotland/Israel/Norway/Serbia
Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden,
N.Ireland/Bosnia/Slovakia/Ireland
Group F: Germany, France, Portugal,
Iceland/Romania/Bulgaria/Hungary
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