Oscar Piastri’s brilliant response when asked about his best case scenario at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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Oscar Piastri qualified third for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Saturday, further cementing his status as an outsider in the title race. He will be 16 points behind Lando Norris when the lights go out.

Piastri knows that, barring a remarkable turn of events, he needs to win the race to stand any chance. He will have to pass his teammate and the pole-sitting Red Bull of Max Verstappen to do so.

Even if he does take maximum points, he needs Norris to cross the line sixth or lower. That has only happened once this season.

Verstappen’s pole position won’t be enough for the title if Norris remains behind him. How do you think the trio will finish?

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There’s also the possibility that Piastri will face team orders in the final stint of the race if he is out of title contention and Norris needs help to beat Verstappen.

Oscar Piastri doesn’t ‘need to say’ what he wants to happen in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

In a conversation with DAZN in the media pen after qualifying, Piastri was asked to map out his ‘best scenario’ for Sunday’s race.

“I don’t think I need to say any words!” he said, laughing.

Privately, Piastri may be hoping that the top two come to blows at the first corner. That is his clearest route to snatching the trophy.

Oscar Piastri could become the first F1 driver to finish third in a championship with five or more wins

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“Let’s see what happens,” he added. “Ultimately, the championship, even if I win the race, is not in my hands. It’s in Max and Lando’s hands. I’ll make sure I’m in the right position at the right time if I can be.”

The last time three drivers entered the Abu Dhabi GP in contention (2010), it was the third-place man, Sebastian Vettel, who prevailed as Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber slumped to seventh and eighth. Webber is now Piastri’s manager, of course.

Does Oscar Piastri only have himself to blame if he loses F1 title?

McLaren have faced allegations of favouritism in the title race, focused on British driver Norris. These have always come from outsiders and have never been fuelled by Piastri himself.

That said, Piastri’s camp aren’t happy with how 2025 has played out. Team orders have tended to go against him, though he doesn’t believe there’s any malice involved.

Piastri’s mistakes have also cost him, including his spin in Australia and his crashes in Azerbaijan. He led the championship by 34 points after winning the Dutch GP, round 15 out of 24.