For the 36-year-old Brit, it would be the eighth title and an absolute record, one more crown than Michael Schumacher. For the 24-year-old Dutchman, the first, and it would also be the first time that Mercedes had not won since 2014.
For the thirtieth time since the creation of the championship in 1950, the title is decided in the last race. But it is only the second, after 1974, that the last two rivals arrive tied on points, 369.5 to be exact, after 21 great prizes.
When is the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix held
On Friday the two rounds of free practice will take place. Saturday will be the third instance and then the classification. On Sunday, at 10 in Argentina, the race.
Hamilton, who has won the last three races, looks like he has a vein. But Verstappen has another advantage: He has won nine dates this year, compared to eight for the Briton.
If one scores more points than the other on Sunday, he will be champion. But if they finish tied (if one classifies ninth and another tenth with the best lap, that is, two points for each, or neither scores points, finishing outside the Top 10 or leaving), the Dutchman will be champion thanks to his greater number of victories.
As the end of the season approaches, their struggles have grown increasingly rugged, culminating last week in Saudi Arabia with two contentious overtaking and a clash for which the Dutchman was sanctioned.
Since then, many have asked the same question: Will the Red Bull driver be tempted to eliminate his rival rather than fight loyally?
“It’s going to be tough, no one will want to give an inch, predicts Formula 1 sporting director Ross Brawn.” But we want a competition, we don’t want any red lines to be crossed. We do not want this championship to be decided by the decisions of the race stewards and end in an appeal court or elsewhere. It must finish on the Abu Dhabi track with the best driver winning, “he added.
The track, precisely, was the exclusive property of Mercedes until last year, with six poles and six victories between 2014 and 2019. In 2020, Verstappen gave the surprise by winning the pole position and the first final place.
However, “last year is not necessarily a good benchmark in terms of results, since many factors contributed to it,” starting with the flanged Mercedes engines and a Hamilton recovering from Covid-19, recalls the Dutchman. That said, your 2021 Red Bull is more powerful than last year’s.
How to watch the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The different ESPN signals are broadcast by all instances and also Star + the race.
Another uncertainty is added this year: the route has been modified. The track is now faster, which should give Mercedes an advantage, but it must also be more conducive to overtaking, which Red Bull cannot dislike.
The constructors’ title will also be awarded on Sunday. Mercedes is a 28-point favorite with a maximum of 44 still up for grabs. But in the event of a tie, Red Bull will take the title by number of victories.
The rest of this classification (which determines the commercial income received by the teams) should hardly evolve.
In pilots, the Finn Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) and the Mexican Sergio perez (Red Bull) are assured of finishing third and fourth respectively in the drivers’ standings.
However, there are several drivers who covet fifth place (the first after the two dominant teams); the monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), the British Lando Norris (McLaren) and Spanish Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari), separated by 8.5 points.
Finally, Formula 1 says goodbye this weekend to the Finn Kimi Raikkonen, retiring at 42, after 19 seasons of service since 2001. The man with 349 Grands Prix, a record, can boast a vintage with a 2007 drivers’ world champion title, 103 podiums – of which that 21 wins- and 18 poles.
His Italian partner Antonio Giovinazzi also leaves Alfa Romeo for Formula E.
Also noteworthy is Bottas’ final race for Mercedes before joining Alfa Romeo and Britain’s George Russell at Williams before rising to the ranks of the Silver Arrows.
Source From: Ambito
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