Lando Norris arrives in Qatar this weekend with the Formula One crown tantalisingly within his grasp.
The Briton could potentially be crowned champion on Sunday, but a maiden title that once looked assured is now anything but following last weekend's dramatic ending in Las Vegas.
The drivers' championship battle was turned on its head after the disqualification of Norris and Oscar Piastri at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, allowing race winner Max Verstappen to blow the title race wide open.
Both McLaren cars were kicked out for excessive plank wear, with the skid blocks below the minimum thickness, meaning Norris lost his points for second place and Piastri for his fourth spot.
The implications are significant, with race winner Red Bull's four-time champion Verstappen benefiting the most from this decision.
State of play
Norris arrives in Doha leading both his teammate Piastri and Red Bull's Verstappen by 24 points.
With 58 points left across the Qatar sprint, main race and the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale, this becomes a full three-way showdown and makes for a potentially dramatic finale at Yas Marina Circuit.
Can Norris seal the title in Saturday's sprint?
No. Even if he wins and Piastri and Verstappen finish out of the points that would lift the the Briton only 32 points clear, with 50 remaining.
Across the full Qatar weekend, there are 33 points on offer: eight in the sprint and 25 in the grand prix. That means the earliest Norris can win the championship is in the main race on Sunday, November 30.
To become world champion next weekend, Norris must finish the weekend with a lead of more than 25 points over both Piastri and Verstappen.
In practical terms, he needs to outscore whichever rival scores the most in Qatar by at least two points. If he does not achieve that, the title fight will continue to Abu Dhabi.
What Piastri and Verstappen need to do
Neither driver can realistically afford a slip-up with McLaren's Las Vegas disqualifications having given Verstappen a massive championship boost.
To stay in the title fight after Qatar, both Piastri and Verstappen must remain within 25 points of Norris. If the gap becomes 26 or more, Norris is champion.
If Piastri or Verstappen were then to win the season-closer in Abu Dhabi with Norris pointless the Briton would claim the crown on countback. Norris will have won eight races in 2025, with Piastri on seven and Verstappen on six.
Should Piastri win in Abu Dhabi and draw level with Norris' eight wins the Australian would lose out on second-place finishes – he has three to Norris's eight currently.
If Verstappen won he would miss out with one race win less than Norris.
Dutchman Verstappen has won the past two races in Qatar, and has taken the chequered flag in four of the past five Abu Dhabi grands prix, with his run broken last year by Norris.
Piastri has not topped the podium since winning the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort at the end of August.
Given the stakes, McLaren will be praying after last weekend's disastrous double disqualification that the old maxim – what happens in Las Vegas stays in Vegas – holds true.
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
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Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Mumbai Indians 213/6 (20 ov)
Royal Challengers Bangalore 167/8 (20 ov)
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Pakhtoons 137-6 (10 ov)
Fletcher 68 not out; Cutting 2-14
Sindhis 129-8 (10 ov)
Perera 47; Sohail 2-18
