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McLaren star Lando Norris has stated he does not envision a situation where he would petition fellow driver Oscar Piastri to move over for him to facilitate his title bid.

The 26-year-old Briton presently enjoys a 12-point lead over the Max Verstappen and a 16-point margin over Piastri heading into this weekend's finale in Abu Dhabi.

Each of the three contenders are still in the hunt for the championship, with 25 points on offer for a race win and 18 for second place.

Norris needs to secure a top-three finish at the Yas Marina Circuit to be certain of securing his first-ever Formula One title; he could be defeated if, for example, Verstappen wins and he finishes in fourth.

If Piastri was running ahead than Norris in either second or third with Verstappen leading, McLaren theoretically could ask the Australian to let Norris overtake.

"The decision isn't mine and I won't be making that request," said Lando Norris on media day. "I don't want to ask it because I don't think it's necessarily a reasonable request."

"I don't know. The choice lies with Oscar if he would be willing to permit it, you know?" Norris continued.

The Outsider's Viewpoint

Piastri is now the longest shot to capture his first drivers' title, as the young driver needs to win the race on Sunday and for Norris to finish sixth or lower.

"It is not a topic we have talked about," said Piastri, who was competitive again in Qatar and came close to winning the race but ultimately placed second to Verstappen after a poor strategy call.

"Before I know what's kind of expected, I don't have an response," he said.

If Roles Were Reversed

That said, Norris indicated if the roles were reversed and it was Piastri who was needing assistance in the final race, he would be prepared to move aside.

"Personally, I believe I would do it, just because I think I'm always like that. That's just how I am," he said.

Norris was thirty-four points behind Piastri after his DNF at the Zandvoort race at the tail end of summer but podiums at Monza, Singapore and Austin, coupled with consecutive wins in Mexico City and São Paulo, enabled him to retake the lead of the championship going into the final few races.

His goal is to become the eleventh British F1 driver to be crowned champion of the world.

The McLaren driver initially finished second at the Las Vegas Grand Prix two weeks ago but a double disqualification for McLaren gave that day's race winner Max Verstappen a lifeline to re-enter the championship.

The Dutchman's Comeback

The Dutchman trailed Piastri by a massive 104 points after coming second at his home race in the Netherlands but he has pulled himself back into the fight with five wins since the mid-season break, most recently last week in Qatar.

His clearest route to glory is for him to win in Abu Dhabi and for Norris to end up fourth or worse.

"I didn't expect to be in the title fight but here we are," remarked Verstappen, who can equal legend Michael Schumacher's record of five consecutive drivers' titles if he wins the title in the UAE.

"Following the Dutch GP everything was cancelled. My dad is rallying in Africa. My mum is content with the dogs," he said.

"Of course, they continually back me; my mum always lights a candle before every race weekend. But I suppose they trust their son," he added.

Looking Ahead

Lando Norris stated if Verstappen prevails over him and Piastri, then they will offer their congratulations and "turn the page to next year".

He added: "It changes nothing, it doesn't alter my life. So he'll deserve it over us."