F1 Final Race 2021 Abu Dhabi GP – Verstappen and Hamilton Tied for the Title

F1 Season 2021 to be Decided in Final Race in Abu Dhabi

t’s the first time since 2016 that the championship will go down to the wire at Abu Dhabi, when we witnessed an intra-Mercedes battle between team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, with Rosberg clinching his one and only title – before dramatically retiring from the sport after the prize-giving ceremony.

F1’s veteran, Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s long-standing protégé, Max Verstappen have both had one hand on the title over various stages of the season. Which has meant an incredible display of ebb and flow between the two title rivals, ever since the opening salvo back in March at Bahrain.

There is also a special edge to the title fight this weekend, as it will be Honda’s last race in the sport and this means, Red Bull will be under even more pressure to deliver upon a special farewell for the outgoing Japanese engine supplier.

Best Bookies to Bet on Formula 1 Races

With Formula 1 being one of the world’s most popular sporting disciplines, it will come as no surprise that all the major bookmakers have odds for this weekend’s activity and with no shortage of options available, the hardest task will be finding the best price for your favourite driver.

Bookies with F1 Live Stream of Abu Dhabi Final Race

Live streaming is not particularly common when it comes to Formula 1, which means for those who are thinking of placing a bet on Sunday’s race, they will have to make do with live coverage on Sky Sports or delayed highlights on Channel 4 while logging onto their favourite betting platform.

Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen Finale Predictions

Quite simply it boils down to the man who has won the title on seven separate occasions versus the youngster who is aiming to win his first ever Drivers’ Championship and if the finale took place a month or so ago, the smart money would be on Max Verstappen.

However, the pendulum has certainly swung back in the favour of Lewis Hamilton during the last couple of races and with momentum playing a huge factor towards this year’s Formula 1 final race, the Mercedes camp now find themselves with a head of steam behind them.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are heading to the last round of Formula 1 for 2021 with an equal number of points.

On paper, this means that whoever finishes first in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday will become the world champion, but that is not necessarily the case. If the two again have an equal number of points after the Yas Marina race, Verstappen will be crowned champion, due to having one more victory this season than the Mercedes driver. And with that said, let’s have a look at the odds market.

• Lewis Hamilton to Win the Race at 3/5 with bet365
• Max Verstappen to Win the Race at 7/5 with 888

Before the start of training and qualifications Lewis Hamilton is appointed as the favourite by the bookmakers. But we believe there are several possible scenarios. Let’s have a look at other interesting odds and markets to begin with.

As we mentioned above, placing above their opponent is not the only possible way for both pilots to take the crown. In fact, there are two scenarios that could make this happen. The first is if they both stay out of the top 10 and don’t take points, and the second is if Hamilton is ninth and Verstappen is tenth and records the fastest lap. In any other case, the two will have different points and whoever finishes first in the points zone will become the world champion in Formula 1 for 2021.

With these scenarios in mind we think that the wisest step is to check what other odds markets we can utilize. The odds of being placed for both Hamilton and Verstappen is equal around 4/25.

Our opinion is that excluding the first place in this GP, the other big clash this Sunday will be who will record the Fastest Lap. The betting odds here are very tempting as Fastest Lap by Hamilton is offered at odds around 3/2, while Verstappen is offered at 11/4 with bet 365.

What better way for every Formula 1 fan to make this exciting weekend even more memorable? This can only happen by being part of every single stage of this weekend, including bets from Saturday where we will be able to guess who will grab Pole Position. The odds for both favourites are Hamilton to be first in the grid on Sunday offered at 4/5, while Verstappen to win Qualification session is around at 7/4.

Whether they have left it too late, is something that remains to be seen and with both men known for not giving an inch on the track, there is every chance that a collision between the two decides the destiny of the championship.

Then again, if either driver is seen to overstep the mark at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the race stewards will certainly have a watchful eye and their input, could also have a large bearing on who is crowned champion for 2021.

Possible Team Orders

Team orders could play a very important part in the title fight for the World Drivers’ Championship and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Alfa Romeo-bound Valterri Bottas will be out to earn their crust this weekend, in a bid to help their team-mates and also decide the World Constructors’ Championship.

Throughout 2021, Bottas has earned the mantle of most effective ‘rear gunner’, mainly thanks to his decent qualifying record, whereas Perez has only managed to drag the car into the top three on one single occasion.

The footnote for Perez, is that whenever he has qualified well, he has had an equally strong race and if we look back to Azerbaijan, France, and Mexico, he has contributed to the championship battle by stealing points off Hamilton and Bottas.

Although Perez’s unfortunate retirement last time out, where he was the ‘cork-in-the-bottle’ in a standing safety car restart crash, has meant that Mercedes are in the prime seat for the Constructors’ Championship as it stands.

If both Hamilton and Verstappen were to DNF in a manner we saw in Monza earlier this year, Verstappen will win on countback of wins (9 vs 8), so Verstappen will have his elbows out more than Hamilton and both will be keen to get a good start on Sunday.

F1 Season 2021 Recap and Controversies

In terms of controversies both on and off the track, 2021 has arguably seen the most in this or any previous edition of the Formula 1 World Championship and with such drama being an important subplot in the narrative of the sport, there will certainly be more on show this weekend.

Especially if the weekend just gone is anything to go by and with Verstappen eventually being given an additional 10 second penalty after the chequered flag had been waved, it was another addition to the controversies that have unfolded over the course of 2021.

Whether it has clouded the spectacle on show is something that can be argued, and purists of the sport will believe that racing should only take place on the track, while not being decided by virtue of additional punishments after the race.

Talents that take us to the final Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend and with this season having so many twists and turns, do not be surprised if there is one last controversy that plays out this Sunday afternoon.

What kind of Track is the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi

The Yas Marina Circuit has undergone a considerable facelift after 12 editions in its previous layout, and the circuit will now see many of its tighter profile corners streamlined and radius decreased, in the event of offering a much more exciting circuit for the 2021 season finale.

As a result, DRS is going to be crucial at Yas Marina down the back straight, and in the last few races we have seen Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton have the edge in the DRS zones over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

We should expect to see a one-stop race, with the new circuit configuration not only smashing lap times and increasing the average lap speed, but there will also be an added effect on tyre degradation.

Which means the drivers will be inclined to manage their tyres in the first phase of the race on soft and medium compounds, before switching to hard tyres and running as long as they dare until the very end.

However, as we saw in Jeddah last weekend, the faster corners at Turn 4 and Turn 9 will run a higher risk of Safety Car, which can throw the tyre strategy completely out the window.

Whatever the strategy or the outcome of the championship, it will be a fitting end to this incredible 2021 season.