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This weekend’s showdown on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit will determine the Formula 1 drivers’ championship.

As they travel to a track that has previously hosted a number of dramatic climaxes, Lando Norris leads Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 12 points and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri by 16 respectively.

This weekend has everything needed for another.

With his significant points advantage, Norris emerges as the paper favorites for the weekend.

Over the course of the season, the McLaren has been the fastest car on average. It leads the field in terms of qualifying time, with 0. 274 seconds over the regular season and 0. 203 seconds over the previous eight races.

However, this year’s drivers split their victories equally between them: Norris, Verstappen, and Piastri, who each have seven victories. George Russell of Mercedes won the other two grand prix victories.

With only six races left, McLaren have dominated the constructors’ championship, which they won at the Singapore Grand Prix on October 1st.

However, the presence of two aggressive drivers in a consistently winning car refutes that. No other team has benefited from combining those two elements.

Verstappen, by contrast, has scored more than 92% of his team’s points this year despite having no experience with him and having no impact on his title defense, and Red Bull has dropped him for the season as a result.

Each car has its own set of strengths, and competition has fluctuated throughout the season.

Verstappen only triumphed at the Qatar Grand Prix last weekend as a result of McLaren’s strategy error. Otherwise, McLaren territory was covered by that track’s long-duration medium- and high-speed corners.

Abu Dhabi also has some protracted corners, particularly the hairpin on the first long straight and the protracted Turn Nine at the end of the second main straight.

However, the McLaren is not at its best when braking into chicanes or the 90-degree, short-duration corners that make up the final sector of the marina and hotel.

And Red Bull has the fastest straight-line speed.

The fight appears to be well balanced in terms of track characteristics.

Verstappen has won four races in Abu Dhabi, winning each one there between 2020 and 23.

However, Verstappen’s victory in the 2021 championship showdown with Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes was highly content, and the rules were only settled after the race director’s late safety-car period was settled.

Additionally, the three drivers are not comparable in any way.

For a start, this is only Piastri’s third F1 season. Verstappen has been in the F1 since 2015, and Norris has been in the F1 since 2015.

Verstappen has won races on and off since 2016, but Norris did not even have a vaguely competitive car until 2023.

Throughout the season, the competitiveness between the teams and drivers has changed.

The Red Bull and McLaren only competed on circuits with high-speed corners like Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Imola in the first half of the season.

Over the first 14 races of the season, Piastri and Norris were the more successful drivers overall, with some issues with the car’s handling.

However, Norris has improved significantly since the summer break, reversing Piastri’s 34-point lead at the end of August.

Verstappen was 104 points off the championship lead after the summer’s slump in Red Bull form.

Verstappen’s run of three victories and a second place in four races ended in September and October due to adjustments to their car for the Italian Grand Prix at the beginning of September.

The more challenging task is assigned to McLaren. They are aiming for a championship win with two drivers in contention, and they have committed to allow them to compete fairly together until one of them is no longer.

However, the team’s stated objective is for one of their drivers to win the title, which they don’t care for. Don’t therefore exclude McLaren’s use of any particular type of team tactic.

For instance, if Verstappen wins and Piastri ranks first in the top three with Norris in fourth, the Dutchman will be the champion. However, Norris would retain the title if Piastri reversed and let him finish in the top three.

In those circumstances, McLaren would ordinarily approach Piastri to lend a hand to Norris, but only when it is obvious that the Australian’s hopes have come to an end.

Verstappen is alone at Red Bull. Except if a McLaren somehow stumbles into the shadows of one of Tsunoda and the two Racing Bulls of Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson, two of which are Red Bulls.

Norris is undoubtedly under more pressure than anyone else.

McLaren has been the driver’s championship leader for the entire year, and he has looked like the team that will win the drivers’ title.

McLaren has his first drivers’ title chance since Hamilton won in 2008, and at the same time, he has his first chance to win it.

Yes, Hamilton was in mathematical contention in 2010, but he was only 24 points behind, so he was not really in contention.

McLaren have also undergone a fundamental change, and the majority of the team has not, despite team principal Andrea Stella having previously competed for the title alongside Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, and Fernando Alonso.

Their relative lack of rawness has shown at times this year, especially in Qatar, where they were the only team to not pit against a safety car and ultimately lost the game.

As a result, recent days will have likely seen some soul-searching and thorough analysis. It would be understandable to experience some anxiety and apprehension.

Red Bull and Verstappen are both well-versed in this circumstance. They are a ruthless, expertly honed winning machine with the ability to win the last four drivers’ titles.

The pressure is off as a team and driver who has already done it and who did it not anticipate.

Whether or not he wins, Verstappen has said it before and has said it will not alter my life.

Harvey Elliott’s recent resemblance to the Aston Villa Christmas video served as a reminder that he is still at the club.

The Liverpool player on loan spent a short time on Sunday at Villa Park, which is more time than he has played in the Premier League in the previous two months.

At Bodymoor Heath training ground, he was posing for a laundry trolley while sporting a festive jumper. His Christmas wish is likely to change fortunes.

His Anfield deadline-day switch was intended to be so much, but it quickly failed.

If Elliott plays for Villa ten times and is still in limbo after five starts, the decision will become permanent.

He had no other choice but to rejoin the Reds or stay at Villa because he appeared to be unhappy with his 89th-minute substitute role for Liverpool against Newcastle in August, which he had played for.

Talks are planned to determine a player’s future if they haven’t played in the Premier League since September.

Unai Emery made it clear that he wanted Elliott, while Villa were already showing signs of interest and Monchi, who has since been replaced by Roberto Olabe as president of football operations, was the one who had taken the lead.

West Ham had an interest in moving to RB Leipzig, but Villa signed him on loan with a 35-million purchase commitment on the day.

He remarked at the time, “I loved every minute of it [at Liverpool], every second, every day. I wouldn’t alter it.

The decision to play first-team football was, however, what was most crucial for me when I made the decision.

In his final 12 weeks, he has played 96 Premier League games, with Fulham’s only exception coming in at half-time. A goal on his full debut against Brentford in the Carabao Cup in August seems far off.

His last game was against Feyenoord in the Europa League on October 2 as a substitute in the 86th minute.

In the end, Villa’s intentions appear to be off. While some people believe Elliott hasn’t provided the expected level of quality, sustainability and profit issues are taken into account.

Elliott was not eligible to face Liverpool last month, so Emery has provided some cautious explanations regarding the omission of him from their previous five Premier League squads.

Emery, a demanding manager, believes the current situation has passed.

We currently have a lot of matches. Before leaving Elliott out of the squad for Sunday’s win over Wolves, Emery said last week, “We must concentrate on each match with the players we have now.”

We don’t think about the January transfer window. One of our players, he should be able to assist us.

Then, we’ll make a decision, “. First of all, other players are very effective performers. This is the first justification for his lack of play.

One of those is Morgan Rogers. One of Thomas Tuchel’s England stars is his form.

Villa residents were also surprised by Emi Buendia’s revival. The attacking midfielder had been anticipated to leave, but Emery has since found him crucial.

Elliott, who has appeared in 201 of his career starts out as a number 10, only to be blocked by Rogers and Buendia.

The 22-year-old has always maintained her focus, though. When he arrived at Villa, he shakes hands with journalists to properly introduce himself. He is humble and polite.

Elliott’s hopes are waning as the year of the World Cup approaches.

Under Tuchel, Elliot Anderson and Alex Scott, both of whom impressed with Elliott at Euro 2025 in Slovakia, have been given senior call-ups, with the latter making his debut.

Elliott shined in Slovakia, but he’s still waiting for a loan. In the next two weeks, his future is likely to become clearer.

Liverpool viewing him as a Villa player is unlikely, with no recall clause in place, making a return to Anfield. However, if Villa were willing to pay the required sum in addition to the loan fee, the agreement could always be canceled.

Due to Liverpool’s plans to sell Elliott and reduce his wages, finances will also be taken into account. After essentially selling him in the summer, would they be happy for him to return?

However, if he stays, he runs the risk of ruining a whole season of potential entry into Tuchel’s World Cup plans.

He is not being considered for a move to a league with a different calendar, like Major League Soccer.

However, leaving Villa, Liverpool, or Elliott alone and wasting a year in his career would be absurd.

No one can question his ambition after winning the Premier League last year, and he continued to pursue his goals.

NFL 2025 season: Week 14

It seemed business as usual for Alex Singleton and the Denver Broncos as the Super Bowl contenders beat the Las Vegas Raiders last month.

Singleton leads the NFL’s most destructive defence and the 31-year-old linebacker shone again during a 10-7 win.

He later revealed he had extra motivation, though. He was worried that game would be his last. He was playing just three days after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

“That week was emotional,” he told BBC Sport, “wondering if it was going to be my last game ever, how the surgery would go and how the rest of my body was doing with cancer.

“But at least I knew in the back of my head that if this was going to be the last one, I was going to leave every single ounce of sweat and blood I ever could on that field.”

Singleton tied for a game-high nine tackles and had the tumour removed the next day, but not only was he given the all-clear to resume his career, he played last Sunday – 23 days after the operation.

On 29 October, Singleton discovered a letter in his locker marked ‘confidential’. He ripped it open to read that a sample taken on 13 October – the day after Denver’s win over the New York Jets in London – returned an elevated level of the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin).

“I’m like, ‘whoa, that’s crazy’. I don’t know how that would happen,” he said. “I was walking into a meeting so just searched ‘hCG hormone’ and it pops up that you’re either injecting it or you have testicular cancer.

“I’m kind of freaking out. I go home, I tell my wife and was like, ‘well, I’m not taking anything’, so maybe I should go to a doctor’.”

Singleton’s wife Sam, who gave birth to their first child Tallyn in February, booked an appointment for Monday, 3 November.

So when Singleton helped Denver beat Houston the previous day, he still did not know whether he had cancer or faced a drugs ban, and “it was kind of in my head the entire time, wondering what was going on”.

After being diagnosed that Monday, Singleton said that “all I wanted to do was play Thursday night”.

“My biggest fear was getting this game taken away from me, not on my own terms,” he added. “I didn’t want Houston to be my last game because of what was going to happen to me after [the Raiders game]. You don’t know at that point.

After testicular cancer surgery, heavy lifting or exercise is not normally recommended for about six weeks, but Singleton’s was not as “invasive” as it might have been.

Further tests showed he would be able to make a swift return and, three days after undergoing surgery, he revealed all to team-mates and media on 10 November.

“I didn’t know what everyone’s reaction would be, but it’s amazing how fast football doesn’t matter anymore and everyone just cares about your health,” said Singleton.

“You learn a lot of empathy, compassion from maybe [team-mates] you don’t expect it from. That’s been the best part through the whole thing. It’s made it so much easier to have such a support group of best friends.”

Singleton missed just one game – a crucial win over the Kansas City Chiefs – then Denver had a bye week before their leading tackler this season (95) returned on Sunday against Washington.

He broke up a big play in the final quarter before the Broncos won in overtime so after telling a sideline reporter he would try not to cry, Singleton “got a little emotional” after the game.

“So many guys and coaches on the other team said ‘we’ve been thinking about you, we’ve been praying for you’,” he said. “That showed how close this league is.

Testicular cancer is often treatable and is most common in men aged 15 to 49, according to the NHS.

And although Singleton’s tumour was discovered by accident, he urges men to think and talk about their health more often.

“I’ve already had people say ‘hey man, I just went and got checked because of you’,” he said. “I’m a perfect example of how, in 24 days, you can be completely 100% healthy again. It doesn’t have to be the scariest thing in the world. It can be cured quickly.

“I’ve learned so much about being vulnerable, being able to talk about it. I’ve had the best conversations with so many people, learning about myself and what they’re going through – it could be cancer, mental health struggles, physical [struggles].

Last season Denver reached the play-offs for the first time since winning the team’s third Super Bowl at the end of the 2015 season.

They have continued to improve in Sean Payton’s third year as head coach, with Sunday’s win their ninth in a row. The Broncos now have a 10-2 record, second only to the New England Patriots (11-2).

Denver’s defence not only leads the league for team sacks (51), it is on course to pass the single-season record (72) and the Broncos have developed a knack for grinding out wins, with eight coming in one-score games.

“I think we knew from last year we were going to be special this year,” said Singleton. “And I don’t even think we’ve played our best game yet, not even close.

“We’re doing things the right way to win games at the end. But there’s stuff we can continue to get better.

With five games left, Denver look set to end the dominance of Kansas City (6-6) in the AFC West. After winning three of the past six Super Bowls, the Chiefs could miss out on the play-offs for the first time since the 2014 season and the division title for the first time since 2015.

That 2015 season ended with Denver winning the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium, which also hosts this season’s championship game, and Singleton believes that surviving a remarkable month could inspire him to a fairytale finish.

“I think my perspective will be different to everybody else for the rest of the season,” he said. “I could have been done, so I’m going to cherish every week like it is truly my last ever playing.

“We want to win the Super Bowl in Santa Clara and we don’t care what we have to do or who we have to go through to get there.