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Back in August, Oscar Piastri was riding high as he led the world drivers' championship standings by 34 points courtesy of his Dutch Grand Prix victory.
Now he has been left to walk a tightrope in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi if he's to become the first Aussie to take the title since Alan Jones in 1980.
The 24-year-old has not won a race since triumphing in the Netherlands, and just when it looked like he was set to correct that in Qatar, a mind-boggling mistake by McLaren saw him finish second behind reigning champion Max Verstappen.
Piastri's teammate Lando Norris finished fourth, leaving the standings in the race for the drivers' crown as follows: Norris 408 points, Verstappen 396 points, Piastri 392 points.
No other stars are in contention for the title, and the points on offer in Abu Dhabi are: 25 for the win, 18 points for second, 15 for third, 12 for fourth, then 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1, with the last of those awarded for 10th place.
To win the championship, Piastri must finish first or second.
Oscar Piastri is pictured after disaster struck at the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, leaving his world title hopes hanging by a thread going into the last race of the season
The Australian's fans have blasted McLaren for allegedly sabotaging his championship dream by showing favouritism to his English teammate Lando Norris (Piastri is pictured with McLaren CEO Zak Brown in Qatar)
Piastri (left) will have to excel in Abu Dhabi in order to take the crown from current leader Norris (pictured right)
If Piastri takes the chequered flag, Verstappen cannot beat him to the title, but he will need his teammate Norris to finish fifth or worse.
Should Piastri come second, he will need Verstappen to finish fourth or worse, and Norris to finish 10th or worse, to become F1's new king.
Piastri's struggles have come after a series of decisions by McLaren that have been interpreted by many fans as unfairly favouring the British driver, despite the team's 'papaya rules' stating that they should both be treated equally.
That applied in Qatar, where every team has to make two pit stops.
Unlike other teams, McLaren elected not to bring their drivers into the pits under the safety car on lap seven.
Piastri was leading the race at the time, meaning his car would have been dealt with first, leaving Norris to wait behind him in the pits and lose valuable time.
That decision saw fans accuse the team of sabotaging Piastri's chances yet again in 2025.
At Monza, Piastri was sensationally ordered to give second place back to Norris following a slow pit stop for the Briton due to a faulty wheel gun.
The Hungarian Grand Prix saw Norris given a one-stop strategy that was key to his win, while Piastri was told to make two pit stops.
In Singapore, Piastri revealed his anger over the team radio when Norris hit Max Verstappen, launching the world champion into the Aussie's car, leaving him to finish fourth.
McLaren refused to make Norris hand back the place, then celebrated winning the constructors' championship on the podium without waiting for Piastri, who was waiting to talk to the media.
The three-way fight for the title in the United Arab Emirates next Sunday is bringing back memories of 2010, when Sebastian Vettel triumphed in the last race after overcoming contenders Fernando Alonso, Australia's Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton.
