Lando Norris has 24 points separating him from Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's Max Verstappen with two rounds of the F1 season remaining.
As such, the 2025 F1 drivers' title appears increasingly within the Briton's grasp, as he looks to fend off his McLaren team-mate and the four-time champion at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Yet the close nature of this year's battle raises an intriguing question that has never been tested in F1's 75-year history: what happens if two or more drivers finish the campaign level on points?
The closest F1 has come to this scenario, so far, was in 1984, when Niki Lauda beat his own McLaren team-mate, Alain Prost, but just half a point.
What happens if drivers are tied at the end of the season?
The answer lies in a tie-breaking countback system that prioritises race victories above all else.
Should drivers be tied on championship points when the chequered flag falls at Abu Dhabi, the driver with the most grand prix wins would be crowned champion (sprints are not considered).
If that tally remains equal, second-place finishes would be counted, followed by third-place finishes, and so on, continuing down the finishing positions until a difference emerges.
Remarkably, this regulation has never been required to settle a championship, but could 2025 be the first?
Current championship situation
The 2025 standings perfectly illustrate why this rule could prove crucial. Norris sits atop the standings with 390 points, having claimed seven race victories throughout the campaign.
Behind him, both Piastri and Verstappen are locked on 366 points. However, the Australian currently has more victories (also seven), so he is ranked second on countback.
This creates a fascinating subplot where the McLaren team-mates could theoretically finish level if circumstances align perfectly.
Verstappen has secured six wins this season, including his latest triumph at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Therefore, it is not inconceivable that all three end the campaign equal on points and grand prix victories.
At that point, it would come down to which driver has the most second-place finishes, and that is where Norris has an advantage.
The 26-year-old has already scored eight so far this year, with Verstappen on five and Piastri on three. Therefore, neither of his rivals can end the season with more.
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