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

D

  • Deleted member 1031992

Damage Inc said:
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.
Click to expand...
Even with your extra liters of fuel, you cannot be sure that an incident involving a safety car will not occur during your extra laps and that the race will still end under a safety car
 
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randomcallsign
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...
I preferred a season finishing within the regs. Actually, I've always preferred a season within regs. For some reason, we've been gaslighted into accepting increasingly inane antics, incredibly farcical situations and therefore it should culminate in an absurdity of a conclusion. If all it's wanted it's an absolute clown show, then this is not a race.
If the RD has the power to magic away any regulation as he sees fit, then he is a fixer, not a director.
If SC are part of racing that can simply evaporate a Burj Khalifa racing distance between competitors, then by the same token it can terminate a race.

Here's the thing, Masi opened a can of worms. Try telling teams and drivers: "it's on the rules that we can do whatever we want". Yeah, it's great for the sport!
 
Damage Inc
Corbyy said:
Verstappen is a beast in qualifying and he is very quick in the race too. Too bad he is so aggressive and that he does not build great overtaking. I don't like the fact that he's the son of a pilot, that he's anti-empathetic, arrogant. The fact of being at Red Bull comforts him in this way of acting, which makes this team just as detestable.

I would like all the drivers to be like Alonso without any need to touch each other to pass, cleans drivers in fact.

But for now, I don't see too much difference in terms of race intelligence between Verstappen and Mazepin. One is much better than the other, but it's just aggressiveness.
Click to expand...

Lewis was the same in his early years, I don't see too much difference in terms of race intelligence between young Lewis and Max....


You hate Red Bull others hate Mercedes....I'm happy for the result.
 
muzikant
for me the rules can certainly change i am in favor of racing and less rules and if there are rules for everyone the same the funny thing is that Merc especially Merc was able to come back this year in the championship with the incredible Massi.. and laughing that now all Mercedes fans complain about rules and now about Massi. Where they were also not penalized in the first lap because Lewis cut the chicane.

And about the race result RB and Max can't do anything about this, Max got his chance at a lucky moment and he grabbed it like a pyranha with fresh tires. But throughout the season, Max deserved this title more than anyone else. Finally someone else who wins like the sleepy 6 years that mercedes won without any competition
 
Mr. Malarkey
Premium
RedBarchetta said:
That's Forumula 1 for you. Driver 1 completely dominates driver 2 for the entire race only to have the race director give the victory to driver 2. Way to go!
Click to expand...

Love your screen name. But Masi didn't "give the victory" to Max. Lewis and Merc did by not changing tires and not defending effectively on the last lap.

Everyone seems to be leaving out the fact that Lewis had a better car and a head start. It's not Masi's fault that he couldn't hold that lead.
 
S
Premium
Just watched Aiden Millard, latest video on his opinion on all this ,good watch :)I like this chap And seems very knowledgeable.
 
C
The way I see it, is that had the race have re started with 5 lapped cars between Max and Kewis that would be unfair too.
People saying its a farce, well F1 is, because well over half the field don't stand a chance before the 1st practice has even started purely due to the car they are in....
It really can't be that important to anyone bar Merc and Lewis and RB and Max, 24 hours later...can't beleive people are still going on about it...
 
Damage Inc
Corbyy said:
Even with your extra liters of fuel, you cannot be sure that an incident involving a safety car will not occur during your extra laps and that the race will still end under a safety car
Click to expand...
True but it would have meant the end to the season would have been better?
 
muzikant
Corbyy said:
Lewis did not cut the chicane intentionally. He was pushed out by Verstappen's aggressiveness and it seems normal to me that Hamilton keep the position to sanction Verstappen's aggressiveness
Click to expand...
that's the problem with Hamilton fans if you don't like Sillverstone.. it makes me laugh really laugh.. Max overtook inside the lines and Lewis chose the path straight ahead
 
D

  • Deleted member 1031992

Mr. Malarkey said:
Love your screen name. But Masi didn't "give the victory" to Max. Lewis and Merc did by not changing tires and not defending effectively on the last lap.

Everyone seems to be leaving out the fact that Lewis had a better car and a head start. It's not Masi's fault that he couldn't hold that lead.
Click to expand...
There should never have been a last lap if we had followed the rules
 
Stingraymx
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...
Hi Bram....As i said in an earlier post (and as a Lando fan), i think any supporter of sport would want to see the race end in accordance to the rules and previous precedence (as I am sure you/you team try to apply when overseeing online races).
This would appear to highlight that the Safety car process was not followed on 2 counts 1) any cars should pass (where "any" has meant all with every previous application of this process and RB really are talking nonsense when they claim otherwise) and 2) that the Safety car comes in one lap after all lapped cars have passed (which wasnt the case this weekend).
Of course the FIA seems to have a catch-all get out clause allowing the race director to do whatever he likes, which I would think means Merc would have a hard time with an appeal. I hope they do appeal to be honest as it might force the FIA to clean their act up and to establish a better model for the future (like with football where after much debate they brought in VAR)
 
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Richard Wilks
Mr. Malarkey said:
Love your screen name. But Masi didn't "give the victory" to Max. Lewis and Merc did by not changing tires and not defending effectively on the last lap.

Everyone seems to be leaving out the fact that Lewis had a better car and a head start. It's not Masi's fault that he couldn't hold that lead.
Click to expand...
Again thats a good point. Many people are forgetting that Max still had to overtake Lewis on track to win, in just one lap. And if he had freshed softer tires, he had a slower car, so more equal than this is almost impossible.

Now regarding safety cars, they are nothing new. This whole discussion happened in the 90s already, when the FIA wanted to get rid of aggregated results. They and everybody accepted the safety car a long time ago. So there is no point now debating the fairness of not of it after it inevitably changed the result of an important race.
 
D

  • Deleted member 1031992

Well, I will stay there since it goes in circles. There should never have been a last lap and Hamilton is the 2021 world champion if the rules had been purely applied then Verstappen will never have the right to wear the number 1 in 2022 because in March, we will be in the middle of the CAS procedure. Make the most of your break-in under the guise of an incompetent race director because justice will be done.

Sir Lewis Hamilton, congrats for the 8th World Drivers' Championship
It's inevitable
 
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Damage Inc
Scottt said:
If Verstappen's talent is solely a factor of his aggressiveness, this wouldn't explain his skill in qualifying. Clearly his ability to handle a Formula 1 cars is extremely high, and while it's hard to compare it to Mazepin with the car differences, I think he's head and shoulders above him and most of the rest of the field.
Click to expand...
Just to clarify, I agree with the first part of your statement, but disagree Max is head and shoulders above most of the rest...I say the same thing about Lewis. F1 is about the cars and there's plenty of talented drivers in F1 who'd do much better in the Red Bull or Merc.
 
G
Yea, Give Max new tires, wave the cars through and let's make Max win. Why? Cause the people need a show. Give them what they paid good money for to see. It's a circus. Tjhat's what happens when you let a Race Director think he is God. If they don't clean it up, fans will stop coming. Then who loses? Sad day for motorsports.
 

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