So, the 2025 Formula 1 season will get the three-way, final-race championship showdown that this title run-in has promised as a result of McLaren's Qatar Grand Prix strategic hesitance and another Max Verstappen win.
Was this just careless from McLaren - or has it tied itself in knots trying to be fair to both of its drivers?
We asked our team for their takes, with just 16 points covering the top three in the drivers' championship with one race remaining.
Are papaya rules going to be McLaren's downfall?
Gary Anderson
Papaya rules once again has helped McLaren potentially lose the drivers' championship.
Why would anyone do what McLaren did, when the early safety car was perfectly timed to allow the teams to comply with Pirelli's 25 lap maximum tyre usage? It simply read it wrong.
Yes, it would have had to double-stack its drivers, and Norris would have been the loser in that scenario, but still they would have all been nose-to-tail when the safety car pulled in - so it would then have been down Norris to get back into a podium position.
Prior to that safety car, Verstappen was still in a position to be in contention for the championship at the final race but it would have been at much longer odds. The big loser in reality was Piastri; he had this race won, so would have pulled back 10 points on Norris, who was at that time running third. But with Norris finishing fourth, that points gain was cut to six points.
Now it's Norris still leading the championship. But with Verstappen 12 points behind and Piastri 16, it's still all to play for in the finale. Norris still holds the upper hand - that is unless McLaren overthinks it and papaya rules come into play again.
Wrong in the moment, disastrous in hindsight
Scott Mitchell-Malm
This is a very good result for maximising interest in the finale - although it could have been even closer had Antonelli not made the mistake that let Norris through.
Piastri is rightly gutted and annoyed. He's lost more than Norris in this as he should have closed the gap slightly more and, just as importantly, got a deserved win that would have been good for him and added some late shine to his season.
It was the wrong call. Wrong in the moment and disastrous in hindsight. And seems to clearly be a result of McLaren being the only team that thought it wasn't the ideal time to pit.
That is a worse explanation than anything else. I had wondered if McLaren's pitlane position might have made it too high-risk for both car. But in that situation it was likely only the second car that was at risk of being screwed - and that is just part of the reality that comes with not earning track position in qualifying.
I hope that McLaren would have been willing to take that risk to secure a win for Piastri even if it compromised Norris. Equal opportunity is one thing but causing a problem for both drivers just to avoid only causing a problem for one would be totally wrong.
It seems it was just a very bad call. That isn't much better and won't make Piastri any happier.
Norris will be the more reasonable about this because that safety car timing probably left him stuck either way: stay out and lose ground, pit and get caught in the queue.
It's Piastri who lost out most.
McLaren doesn't deserve this title
Jack Benyon
Earlier this month, Zak Brown told the Beyond the Grid podcast that McLaren wouldn't play favourites and would rather lose by a point than favour one of its drivers.
Andrea Stella said that its decision to not pit either driver under the early safety car was an innocuous mistake - rather than a consequence of trying not to prioritise either of its drivers.
Given that every other team elected to pit, I find Stella's logic hard to believe. It's either really silly from McLaren or, what I think is more likely, it's hiding the true reason: to avoid prioritising either car. As it knew how much criticism it would likely get had it given that as the reason.
So what you have just watched, as far as I can ascertain - McLaren voluntarily throwing a race win away to keep parity with its drivers - is something it is willing to deal with as per Brown's comments.
Even if I'm wrong and it was just an error, it still made a terrible call in a pivotal race for the championship. "Do you want a win, Max? Yeah? Go ahead..."
Neither of McLaren's drivers, nor the team - especially the team - deserve to win this title on how it has approached this season. Verstappen's been far better and he's proven it so many times.
Sport is not egalitarian - and McLaren trying to make it so is silly.
... but it should still win
Val Khorounzhiy
This is, no doubt, a DEFCON 1-level calamity for McLaren - which obviously should have had the title mathematically guaranteed to a McLaren driver by now, and probably a couple of races ago, too.
Bar Piastri, who is under no pressure, nerves will be tested a ludicrous extent this upcoming week. Q3 at Yas Marina will be tense. Turn 1 - where Verstappen and Piastri came to blows last year - will be brutal. The pitstops will be agonising.
But don't lose sight of the maths. If Norris finishes a straightforward race, McLaren really should be assured of the title. He needs a podium - and he's reached the finish off the podum just three times this year. Two of those were fourth places with Piastri up ahead - so you can team order yourself out of that kind of title-losing situation.
Not that McLaren will want to. Not that it should have to. But with Ferrari suddenly horrific and Red Bull a one-car team, its bases are largely covered. It should be OK with Norris, and if not it still has a decent chance with Piastri.
It just needs to believe that and preserve some nerves - which is easier said than done.
