Piastri: I've not had any discussions about helping Norris yet

As the Formula 1 season enters the final round, there are still three drivers in contention for the Drivers' Championship.

In prime position is the McLaren of Norris, who lead the Standings to the tune of 12 points from the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. Piastri is currently third in the Championship, a further four points adrift of Verstappen.

In order to win a maiden Drivers' crown, the Australian driver has the odds stacked against him. If he manages to win the Grand Prix, he will need Norris to cross the line in P6 or worse.

A pole position would have put Piastri in good stead for the race, but unfortunately the McLaren driver could only muster P3 on the starting grid. More importantly, his two Championship rivals set better lap times, with Verstappen claiming pole ahead of Norris on the front row of the grid.

With the possibility of Championship glory admittedly low, many have speculated that McLaren could ask Piastri to avoid battling with Norris to ensure that the latter holds off Verstappen in the Standings battle.

One would expect that the Woking-based outfit have at least talked to Piastri about this, but the Aussie racer has denied that any discussions have taken place.

Speaking after Qualifying, Piastri was keen to point out that he hasn't had any conversations regarding the possibility of team orders to his detriment and Norris' gain.

He said: "I’ve not had any direct discussions about that yet. But until either Max or Lando cross the line ahead of me, then I’m still in the running.

"So we’ll see what that looks like tomorrow. You know, it's not the easiest decision for anybody. But, again, we'll discuss it before the race," stated Piastri.

The McLaren driver's aim for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is clear: his goal is to win the race and put as much pressure on his two Title rivals as possible for the Drivers' Championship.

He continued: "[I aim] to try and win the championship, I need more than to just simply win the race.

"So, yeah, we’ll see what that entails," Piastri concluded.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix commences Sunday 7 December at 13:00 GMT (17:00 local time). Can Piastri turn a 16-point deficit into a maiden Drivers' crown?