But Verstappen has won five of the eight races before Abu Dhabi and is in a far simpler position than two drivers operating out of the same McLaren garage.
The McLaren has been the fastest car on average over the season. It has a significant advantage on average qualifying pace - 0.274 seconds over the season, and 0.203secs over the past eight races.
But wins are split evenly between all three drivers this year - Norris, Verstappen and Piastri all have seven each. The other two grand prix victories have been taken by Mercedes' George Russell.
McLaren have dominated the constructors' championship, which they clinched at the Singapore Grand Prix on the first weekend in October, with six races remaining.
But that is reflection of having two competitive drivers in a consistently race-winning car. No other team has had the luxury of those two factors together.
Verstappen, by contrast, has scored more than 92% of all his team's points this year - team-mate Yuki Tsunoda has been nowhere near him and of no help whatsoever in the Dutchman's title campaign, and has been dropped by Red Bull for next season as a result.
Competitiveness has ebbed and flowed through the season, and each car has specific strengths.
Verstappen won the Qatar Grand Prix last weekend only because of McLaren's strategy error. Otherwise, that track's long-duration medium- and high-speed corners were perfect McLaren territory.
Abu Dhabi also has some long corners - especially the hairpin on to the first long straight and the long Turn Nine at the end of the second main straight.
But the McLaren is not at its best in the sort of short-duration, 90-degree corners that comprise the final sector around the marina and hotel, or when braking into chicanes.
And the Red Bull has the best straight-line speed.
So, in terms of track characteristics, the fight looks finely balanced.
McLaren have taken pole position at the past four races. Over the season, Norris and Verstappen are tied on seven poles each, with Piastri scoring six.