2021 Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

2021 Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.jpg

Who will win the 2021 World Championship?

  • Max Verstappen

    Votes: 1,428 62.8%

  • Lewis Hamilton

    Votes: 845 37.2%
  • Total voters
    2,273
  • Poll closed .
Formula 1 enters the season finale of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with the driver’s championship leaders tied on points.

After a roller coaster ride of a season in F1, the final event of 2021 will be held in Abu Dhabi and will decide the championship battle between Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton. The two drivers are even on points entering the race.

Verstappen has won more races this year than Hamilton, so if the two end up finishing even after this race due to neither scoring points, the championship would go to Verstappen. Momentum seems to be with Hamilton after back-to-back-to-back race wins in Brazil, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, though points momentum has never lasted long this season.

The Yas Marina circuit is a location where both drivers have won in the past, with Hamilton having won numerous times at the track, and Verstappen being the most recent winner. The layout has been altered for 2021 to encourage more overtaking.

Looking away from the feature act of this race weekend, the constructor’s battle between Mercedes and Red Bull seems to be all but decided, with Mercedes holding a 28-point advantage. With Hamilton and Verstappen cancelling each other out on points, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas have been involved in a lower profile battle than their teammates, but one full of surprises just the same.

This will also be the last time we see certain drivers in F1, or the last time we see them with their current teams. Perhaps the biggest departure is Kimi Räikkönen, who will retire from driving after Abu Dhabi. Kimi’s teammate, Antonio Giovinazzi, will also vacate his F1 seat after this season and will race in Formula E next year instead. One of the Alfa Romeo team seats will be filled by Bottas, who will finish this year third in the driver’s standings. His current seat at Mercedes will be filled by George Russell.

This looks to be an exciting finish to a season filled with drama and shocking moments. Let’s hope that we see the best from each of the championship contenders this weekend.

Qualification Results​

1Max VERSTAPPENRed Bull1:22.109
2Lewis HAMILTONMercedes1:22.480
3Lando NORRISMcLaren1:22.931
4Sergio PÉREZRed Bull1:22.947
5Carlos SAINZFerrari1:22.992
6Valtteri BOTTASMercedes1:23.036
7Charles LECLERCFerrari1:23.122
8Yuki TSUNODAAlpha Tauri1:23.220
9Esteban OCONAlpine1:23.389
10Daniel RICCIARDOMcLaren1:23.409
11Fernando ALONSOAlpine1:23.460
12Pierre GASLYAlpha Tauri1:24.043
13Lance STROLLAston Martin1:24.066
14Antonio GIOVINAZZIAlfa Romeo1:24.251
15Sebastian VETTELAston Martin1:24.305
16Nicholas LATIFIWilliams1:24.338
17George RUSSELLWilliams1:24.423
18Kimi RÄIKKÖNENAlfa Romeo1:24.779
19Mick SCHUMACHERHaas1:24.906
20Nikita MAZEPINHaas1:25.685

Race Results​

1Max VERSTAPPENRed BullLAP 58
2Lewis HAMILTONMercedes2.256
3Carlos SAINZFerrari5.173
4Yuki TSUNODAAlpha Tauri5.692
5Pierre GASLYAlpha Tauri6.531
6Valtteri BOTTASMercedes7.463
7Lando NORRISMcLaren59.2
8Fernando ALONSOAlpine61.708
9Esteban OCONAlpine64.026
10Charles LECLERCFerrari66.057
11Sebastian VETTELAston Martin67.527
12Daniel RICCIARDOMcLaren+1L
13Lance STROLLAston Martin+1L
14Mick SCHUMACHERHaas+1L
15Sergio PÉREZRed BullDNF
16Nicholas LATIFIWilliamsDNF
17Antonio GIOVINAZZIAlfa RomeoDNF
18George RUSSELLWilliamsDNF
19Kimi RÄIKKÖNENAlfa RomeoDNF

What are your thoughts on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix? Let us know on Twitter at @RaceDepartment or in the comments section below!

Photo credits: Red Bull Content Pool
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About author
Mike Smith
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

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Comments

muzikant
Kingkoenig said:
The FIA wanted the race to end under green flag conditions, no doubt.

I'll bet a six-pack of Red Bull that if the race had ended under a yellow flag, Max fans would have questioned the time it took to remove Latifi's car and the debris and said that the FIA was pro-Merc and pro-Lewis.
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you describe the whole season. When I questioned the Massi verdict I was laughed at by the Hamilton fans.. and see here
 
D

  • Deleted member 1031992

muzikant said:
luckily but how often has Max been disadvantaged this year.
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I did not understand your sentence but the fact that Verstappen seems to have been penalized in one race should not allow him to be consequently favored in the following one. Each race is its own entity and we must judge the facts without judging the consequences.
 
Damage Inc
Tigerteeth said:
He had more than a split second. He had several laps under the safety car to make a decision and communicated his result to all of the teams. He had already made a decision which everyone understood. And then he suddenly changed it moments before the green light. The FIA have not explained the reason why this happened, only that the result stands.

The controversy is about the sudden change of rules and whether it unfairly gave Verstappen an advantage.
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I would imagine Masi's preferred outcome would have been that Latifi's car cleared with enough time to let ALL lapped cars pass AND have a lap or two to finish off the race. Seems to me he was caught in two minds and did the best he could with what he had.
 
D

  • Deleted member 1031992

Richard Wilks said:
Masi respected the rules. The rules that say he can decide whatever he wants. Now, you might not LIKE this rule, but its there, and its VALID. As is MV's championship. Like i said before, it's over.

And quite honestly, the FIA made a mess of much more important things than this technicality. At least they could fight with each other on track. It would have been depressive to see this finish under safety car, considering that Latifi's crash would happen regardless.
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It is out of the question to accept a sport with variable geometry. I hope that F1 and the FIA will be heavily condemned by the CAS within 12 months and that we restore integrity to this sport.
 
D

  • Deleted member 1031992

Bram Hengeveld said:
This is a serious question for all max, lewis and fia fans: isn't that all what we wanted? Or are there people out there who prefered this insane season to be decided under a yellow caution?
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In retiring the laps led by Perez, Hamilton led 96% of the laps. I think that staying with that result was more than enough.
 
muzikant
Corbyy said:
In retiring the laps led by Perez, Hamilton led 96% of the laps. I think that staying with that result was more than enough.
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you need 100% and the race is over when the checkered flag has fallen
 
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Damage Inc
swinny said:
Sorry I was not going to message again,but this is a ridiculous comment,as I have stated in quite a few messages today these are our own opinions,we agree or disagree but who are you to post such a message.,totally ludicrous and brings nothing to this discussion.This is a discussion forum after all,he has not sworn or been offen just stating his points which quite a few of us agree with some.Be respectful .
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why? some of Corby's posts are ridiculous and OTT.
 
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D

  • Deleted member 1031992

muzikant said:
you need 100% and the race is over when the checkered flag has fallen
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Verstappen led less than a lap while he was away the entire race and he wins in a controversial race director decision. It is not deserved.
 
S
navb said:
Not really.

Even as a Lewis fan, when he ran wide at T5 on the opening lap, I said he needs to give that position back. In fact, I still don't understand what "advantage he gave up" to neutralise running wide. Steward inconsistency as usual.

But you seem to be in "no doubt" about a lot of things. Makes having conversations with people online pointless.
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The advantage he gave up, from Merc's perspective, was the time he gained by cutting the entire corner. I kind of wonder if the SC decision was a bit of a make up call for that lap one incident. Which is a bit crazy seeing that if they had told Lewis to give the spot back, he certainly would have gained it right back. If it was a make up call, then the first lap no-decision essentially ended up helping Max.
 
Richard Wilks
Corbyy said:
It is out of the question to accept a sport with variable geometry. I hope that F1 and the FIA will be heavily condemned by the CAS within 12 months and that we restore integrity to this sport.
Click to expand...
You do realize that a) The CAS won't overrule a rule that is in the sporting code already and b) If they do it, the FIA will just erase this race's results, and Max still wins, right?...
 
muzikant
Corbyy said:
Verstappen led less than a lap while he was away the entire race and he wins in a controversial race director decision. It is not deserved.
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Silverstone didn't deserve it and neither did Hungary. Now Max had luck on his side.
 
K
Bram Hengeveld said:
This is a serious question for all max, lewis and fia fans: isn't that all what we wanted? Or are there people out there who prefered this insane season to be decided under a yellow caution?
Click to expand...
The problem is this: should it be "what the fans want" or "what the rules say"?

F1 teams operate (and spend colossal amounts of money) by operating under the idea that a constant set of rules will be applied. If you change the rules with 2 laps left in the season, then it looks like the whole thing is rigged and you lose a good deal of credibility. It's as if UEFA changed the rules with 5 minutes left in the Champions League final game in order to let the losing team come back from a 2-1 deficit. Rules should be rules, period.

In my opinion, Masi used his power as race director to manufacture a thrilling finish. It seems like he's allowed to do so, he has some level of "discretion" in his role... But I don't think that he should do that to make the show interesting. It's like those fake "yellow flags" that NASCAR is known to come up with once in a while. I'm pretty sure Charlie Whiting would not have done this.
 
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D

  • Deleted member 1031992

Richard Wilks said:
You do realize that a) The CAS won't overrule a rule that is in the sporting code already and b) If they do it, the FIA will just erase this race's results, and Max still wins, right?...
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I hope the decision will be fair. The Safety Car should never have entered the pits.
 
Mr. Malarkey
Premium
Wow, I didn't realize so many people on this site were experts on the sporting regs.

I questioned Masi, too. But then I read the regs in question (they quoted them in the decision), and realized that Masi did exactly the right thing to allow this race to finish under the green.

If safety issues had allowed time for all the lapped cars to be cleared, he would have done that. So he did the next best thing. That's what the rules say he can do.

Merc played it safe on tire changes. They gambled and lost. All Lewis had to do was hold off an inferior car for one lap. He couldn't do it and lost. Accept it. This is how the other 19 drivers feel most of the time.
 
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Damage Inc
davehenrie said:
and at least one team would not, those cars would be faster, they would win unless there actually was a late safety car. Teams push the recommended air pressure in the tires, the exact amount of fuel, anything to save ounces or increase performance. Heck, didn't Schumie take diuretics to pee away even that tiny bit more?
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Have the fuel calculated by the FIA and all cars fuelled the same amount to make the end of the race plus 1 or 2 laps extra? But I'm just chewing the fat about what could be done to end a race in these circumstances under green flag conditions and not a SC.
 

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