Tensions may be rising ahead of Formula 1's first three-way title fight in 15 years, but Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri are keen to try and play it cool.
The FIA wisely put F1 2025's three title protagonists in the same press conference segment, with championship leader Norris in the middle in the currently correct podium order.
Verstappen set the tone when asked how he had prepared for his chance to claim a fifth consecutive title in what would be one of the most remarkable comeback stories in F1 history.
"Spent some time with my daughter, figured some stuff out for GT3 for next year, figured out some stuff for my sim team as well," he said.
McLaren duo Norris and Piastri have never been in this position before but also vowed to treat the weekend like any other, with the Australian saying he had enjoyed a game of padel, ricocheting the title pressure the other side of court.
Of course, that is the right approach, as Norris just needs to make sure he stands on the podium and Piastri requires a win as well as a lot of help from his rivals. But surely, as human beings rather than robots, it can't just be business as usual, which Verstappen alluded to when he pointed out he had the least to lose.
Norris acknowledged he had the "most to lose" by default as the championship leader, but at first he also claimed missing out on a maiden world championship after the position he was in just two weekends ago "won't change my life".
Of course it would, and of course Abu Dhabi is not like any other race weekend, but maybe that's what you need to tell yourself. Just often enough until you start believing it. But towards the end, Norris did open up a bit more and conceded: "It's everything I've worked towards my whole life. So, it would mean the world to me."
Things started getting slightly awkward when the topic of team orders was broached, by far the most pointed question the drivers fielded. When Norris was asked if he would expect or ask Piastri to move out of the way if he needed to finish third and ahead of his team-mate to take the title, Piastri couldn't suppress a wry smile as he turned away and stared into the void. Moving over in Monza hadn't exactly been his favourite moment of 2025.
Both drivers insisted the topic hadn't been broached yet, which on the face of it sounds hard to believe given the situation. But the team tends to discuss race strategy much later over a race weekend, so it is likely accurate. And delaying those talks gives both drivers a way of punting such a thorny question into the long grass without having to resort to a bare-faced lie or, given their usual honesty, spill the beans.
Their uncomfortable facial expressions suggested the topic was still the elephant in the room, even if few people in the paddock believe Piastri won't be a team player if he is realistically out of contention himself. And Autosport has learned that while McLaren isn't going into the weekend with any sort of team orders, the scenario presented above would likely result in Piastri being asked to help out, as just one of several scenarios to pore over before the race.
Piastri has no interest in Verstappen winning the title over Norris, unless he wants to nuke his standing within the team. Perhaps the positions are reversed next year. But while they have been each other's biggest rivals this season until Verstappen re-entered the conversation, it is clear that the mutual respect between Norris and Piastri is genuine, and McLaren is still on course to complete its mission the McLaren way - with two number one drivers co-existing in harmony. Whatever you may think of its approach, it would be a fine achievement in modern F1.
"I’ve always got on well with my team-mates," Norris said. "It’s easy not to. It takes one decision to make everything not be the way it is. And that’s something we’ve done well. It obviously makes our life hard as a team because we have two drivers fighting for a championship instead of one, and that also has its complications. But we’re still happy that we’re both up there."
Piastri added: "It’s nice that we’re able to leave what happens on track, on the track, and be friendly off the track. Like Lando said, it’s very easy for it to not be that way, and that definitely takes cooperation from both parties."
Out of the three, Verstappen's nonchalance on Thursday seemed the most genuine, because it is. He has nothing to prove, and he still can't believe his luck that McLaren throwing away points in Las Vegas and Qatar has allowed him to even be at the table.
When all three were asked about their family being on site, Verstappen smirked: "My parents are not here. My dad is rallying in Africa. And my mom… Yeah, I guess it was not planned.
"I didn’t really plan to be in the title fight until the end..."
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