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

zwiss
Steven Poirier said:
Anyway, FIA didnt check the fact Hamilton cut a turn and gain avantage to stay ahead of Verstappen, kind of Karma at the endind
Click to expand...
If you make a pass so aggressive as Max did you have 2 options:
1 Crash into Max
2 take the escape road.
It's impossible to stop the car, so Max drove him off the track. FIA was right once again.
But I am glad Max won :)
 
K
JohannesK said:
Red flag would have been the right call, first thing I said when the SC came out. FIA ****ed up and Hamilton was somewhat robbed, but in the end the more deserving driver won and got a bit of luck paid out after this horribly unlucky season.
Click to expand...
Red flag would have been the right call, providing the teams would not have been allowed to work on their cars. However, right now, teams can change tires during a red flag, and there’s no doubt Mercedes would have done it. That would have been unfair to Red Bull and Verstappen, opening the door to yet another controversy.
 
RowanZa
Does any one recall if the FIA has ever reversed a major decision based on their own error ?. Masi undoubtedly erred in terms of rule 39.12, unless there is a sub clause buried in there somewhere, that allows the race director, under certain circumstances, to make decisions that supersede what is in the rule book. The big debate will be how to redress the error as there is no precedent for such an event?
Go back to position one lap before safety car or make the first race of next season the last race of this season - maybe? Go Max :)
 
Chris Down
I don't believe that FIA favoured Mercedes or Red Bull, but they have clearly become absolutely unfit to host world championships any more. The pinnacle of the sporting world is being held hostage by them and, without any competition, they have no motivation to improve as an organisation.

It's very sad to me that the world champion's image -- whether it would have been Lewis or Max -- would have inevitably been tainted because of FIA incompetence. That's just not what you want to see at the top tier of racing.
 
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Damage Inc
DrTwurbo said:
Tyres should only be allowed to be replaced during full race conditions... End of
Click to expand...
Yup same with car damage, race is red flagged..all cars come into pits and parc ferme conditions, race is restarted and damaged cars (if TOO badly damaged it's a DNF) have to limp back to pits to get repaired. Lewis benefitted big time from that not happening in Silverstone.
 
Kevin Ascher
This one's in the books. One of the best seasons and season finales in over 20 years of following F1. I wish this thread was more about the phenomenal performance of two outstanding drivers than jadda jadda about the safety car. Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you're unlucky. Sometimes you make the right decision with what information you got and still lose. The outcome of the season was fixed prior to today's race, anyway: One worthy candidate would take the crown and one worthy candidate would leave empty-handed.
 
Enthilzha
DrTwurbo said:
Tyres should only be allowed to be replaced during full race conditions... End of
Click to expand...
I understand what you are suggesting but honest question here: what if tyres are at the very end of their life and drivers are just about to pit because they have to change, and then the SC comes out? Imagine if tyres are exploding during SC periods because cars cannot pit?

Alternately, would there be a way of allowing all cars to pit during SC and restoring order and time gaps before/as SC ends to pre-SC? (IE: all drivers being able to pit but second place and the rest being kept to a maximum speed until first place has restored their gap and then on down the grid) Perhaps too complicated to manage but does anyone think this would be possible?
 
S
stenovitz said:
A basic Q to satisfy my understanding in relation to the last SC after the Latifi incident;
With which rule reference could the stewards justify "fixed field" (before the last-minute change of mind)?
Sorry, if the Q has already been asked, don't have the time for reading the full thread right now.
Click to expand...
Sorry my ill-consideration. Answering this myself, ofcourse it has to be due to safety reasons (luckily I'm not a marshall :D).
 
Damage Inc
Chris Down said:
I don't believe that FIA favoured Mercedes or Red Bull, but they have clearly become absolutely unfit to host world championships any more. The pinnacle of the sporting world is being held hostage by them and, without any competition, they have no motivation to improve as an organisation.

It's very sad to me that the world champion's image -- whoever it would have been -- would have inevitably been tainted because of FIA incompetence. That's just not what you want to see at the top tier of racing.
Click to expand...
It's happened time and time again though in the past, this year is not unique. Someone gets the better end of the decision and the other complains. Same in other sports too, tennis (you cannot be serious), countless football matches all over the world. I must admit I'm surprised it went Max's way today!
 
Chris Down
Damage Inc said:
It's happened time and time again though in the past, this year is not unique. Someone gets the better end of the decision and the other complains. Same in other sports too, tennis (you cannot be serious), countless football matches all over the world. I must admit I'm surprised it went Max's way today!
Click to expand...
To be clear, I think the FIA has always been some level of incompetent, but it's just gotten to the point where there needs to be serious thought put into getting rid of them entirely and forming a new organisation if they won't reform.
 
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T
To think that everyone was worried that Masey and the FIA would make a decision that would overshadow the most exciting F1 championship finale ever!
Dunno what everyone was worried about
 
Enthilzha
Decision is about to be made apparently. They have ruled against Merc on Max overtaking Lewis under SC, but not revealed the second decision as yet.

Whatever they decide, the decision will be appealed - some have suggested that this may end up at CAS.
 
P
Fact is, people are crying about the fact that Lewis lost...Even i'm English but that doesn't mean i'm a Lewis fanboy.

Lewis and Mercedes got what they deserved quite frankly, given the amount of antics by Lewis specifically on track!.

And may i remind you, Max would've been world champion months ago if it wasn't for those antics; Remember Silverstone? - Remember Monza? and other occasions...
Not to mention the bad luck for Max in Azerbaijan.

Last but not least...look at the clear violation by Lewis on lap one; he should've at least slowed down to have Max a car's length behind, but he didn't, he decided to gain at least 5 - 7 car lengths in front, leaving Max without any chance of gaining DRS later.

I say karma comes to collect in strange ways, today it was Lewis' turn due to his past cry baby antics earlier in the season...

GREAT JOB MAX & RED BULL! ;)
 

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