The 22nd and decisive race, in which the drivers ‘and constructors’ titles are at stake on the Yas Marina Circuit, starts at 2 p.m. CET (live ORF 2 and Sky). The tension in the title duel couldn’t be greater. After his home win in Austria in early July, Verstappen was already 32 points ahead. Before the final, the Dutchman and Hamilton are tied with 369.5 points after the Briton’s three wins in a row.
However, Verstappen has one more win of the season to show and would be champion for the first time if both drivers failed. For Hamilton it is about the eighth title with which he would be the sole leader of the all-time best list ahead of the German Michael Schumacher.
The last and most important qualifying of the year took place in the United Arab Emirates at dusk and under floodlights. Pole is one of the deciding factors here, despite a track modification that makes the lap much smoother. The last six winners started from the very beginning.
Verstappen had his possibly decisive moment in the middle of the qualifying phase when he braked one of his medium tires (yellow) when braking at turn one, which was possibly decisive for the race and the World Championship. Red Bull then pulled on the “red” soft tires with which the Dutchman then achieved his best Q2 time.
Like his team-mate Sergio Perez, Verstappen will start on Sunday in accordance with the rules on the softest tire compound and will have to come to the pits much earlier to change tires than the Mercedes from Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, which are driving on medium tires, with the Finn only coming out of the third row starts. Still, Verstappen was in good spirits. “It’s a bit cooler in the evening, maybe that’s an advantage for the soft tires,” said the title contender. “I’m just looking at the race, that’s the most important thing.”
Red Bull’s team advisor Helmut Marko was also optimistic: “We told Max he had to qualify as he did in Jeddah. I hope this pinprick against Mercedes was massive.”
Adapt overall strategy
Now the overall strategy will have to be adapted accordingly because of the tire situation. How long the soft tire lasts depends on the speed you have to hit up front. “We’ll start the race from the front. It’s much easier than attacking from behind,” Marko is convinced. He also hopes that the surprise third Lando Norris will get involved and overtake Hamilton at the start.
Hamilton had set the best time in the last training session, which was completed in daylight and higher temperatures. In qualifying, Verstappen let his team-mate Sergio Perez’s slipstream despite the flat tire pull him to the clear best time, while Mercedes surprisingly did without it.
“A great lap from Max. We couldn’t keep up with that,” admitted Hamilton. The seven-time world champion is confident. “In terms of the tires we’re in a good position in the race. I’m in the front row and I always see where Max is.”
His team boss Toto Wolff admitted: “Now Red Bull has a small advantage. But they have to play that on Sunday too.” The Austrian explained the waiver of the qualifying slipstream as follows: “We would have been closer, but overall the car was not fast enough for Pole.”
Red Bull world champion again from tomorrow?
For the first time since 2013 (Sebastian Vettel), Red Bull Racing can provide the world champion on Sunday. Marko admitted to being excited before the crucial race. “It’s a completely different situation than in other years. There is so much more tension and pressure in it. In all areas, in the mechanics, the psyche, everything is tense,” admitted the 78-year-old from Graz.
He was also tense, said compatriot Wolff. Will Hamilton show his nerve? “Lewis is our least problem. He is strong and relaxed. We just have to put a car under his bum that he can perform with,” explained the Viennese.
Wolff and the English Red Bull team boss Christian Horner shook hands with each other at the team boss press conference on Friday in the tough championship fight after weeks of verbal injuries and wished “good luck”. “It was important to me to hold out my hand,” said Wolff. “Ultimately we fought all year. May the better win. Emotions will arise, hopefully not too many. You have to keep the respect.”
Source: Nachrichten
