After 21 races, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are tied in the Drivers’ Championship title fight. The title is set to be decided at Yas Marina, where the final race of the 2021 season will take place.
For the second time in racing history, the F1’s season end will feature two title competitors level on points. After 21 competitions and numerous tense moments, Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen head to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina, each having 369.5 points.
If the two end the weekend race in a tie, Max Verstappen would be the champion since he has the edge in competition wins.
Keep reading to find out who the Formula 1 betting favourite is and who our experts are backing in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race, as well as the Drivers’ Championship title winner.
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Summary of the Season so Far
While Lewis Hamilton is the Formula 1 betting favourite ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix event, he is one of the drivers that have surprised punters as well as fans of the race. In the first half of the season, Hamilton wasn’t in his outstanding form, but in the second half, he was the best in many races. Lando Norris is another driver who has tried his best across the season. He was among the Drivers’ Championship title contenders, especially during the first half.
At the start of the 2021 season, many fans doubted whether Fernando Alonso still had a say in the tournament, but the two-time Drivers’ Championship titleholder has put these claims to bed. While it was a slow start for Alonso, he has been among the drivers that have surprised the fans. Since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where he had the best re-start, he has been among the standout drivers on the track. His fight with Lewis Hamilton in Budapest was superb, and he has shown some great efforts across the season, despite being the oldest driver at the age of 40.
When it comes to the best races, fans have enjoyed several of them, which include Brazil Grand Prix, Qatar Grand Prix and Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. These races were the most enjoyed since they included lots of thrilling moments and surprises.
The race in Brazil was the most amazing one as fans enjoyed Lewis Hamilton overtaking every single car across the course of the sprint race. This was one of the best racing weekends of Hamilton’s storied career. Also, some new Grand Prix venues were used across the 2021 season, including Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Lusail in Qatar. These venues have only held the Grand Prix event once, in 2021.
Last Race: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was the second last race of the season. It was a competition full of drama, and telling moments of the race came with thirteen rounds left. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was requested to surrender the lead to Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton after forcing the defending champion off the racing track.
As they were racing, Max Verstappen decided to slow down his car, forcing Lewis Hamilton to run into his back, meaning he retained the lead for the next six rounds until he conceded. Lewis Hamilton would win the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from there. If he had not done that mistake of slowing his car down, Verstappen could have been the winner of the Drivers’ Championship Trophy.
Before the last two races, Max Verstappen had an eight-point advantage, and he only needed a single win to be crowned the champion of 2021. However, after some controversial incidents, the two go to the last race level at the top of the table. The top four positions of the last race were occupied by Hamilton, Verstappen, Bottas and Ricciardo, respectively.
Abu Dhabi GP 2021 Race Analysis
With two contenders level at the top, the race at Yas Marina will be the most interesting one to watch. Both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will be looking forward to the title, meaning the race will provide some amazing as well as thrilling moments.
While Max Verstappen will be working hard to complete the season with a trophy, Lewis Hamilton, on the other side, will be hoping to win his eighth Drivers’ Championship title. However, an outsider can decide to neutralise the fight by pulling a surprise. Here are more details about the two top contenders and a potential outsider.
The F1 Word
* Odds have been provided by Bwin and are accurate as of December 09, 2021
Title Battle
Lewis Hamilton
Since the start of the second half of the 2021 season, it has been clear that the seven-time champions Lewis Hamilton will push the fight to retain his title until the last moment.
Across the second half, Mercedes has been a dominant car compared to Red Bull. In the first half, the opposite was true, but at this stage of the season, the upgrades that Mercedes implemented on their car have worked wonders and provided Hamilton with the much-needed edge in a title fight.
In the last five competitions, Lewis Hamilton has managed to win three straight races and grabbed pole at two of them. Lewis Hamilton has experienced some drawbacks, including the power unit grid penalty during the Brazilian Grand Prix event.
Despite that, he managed to make 25 overtakes, emerging the winner of the race. The latest form of both Hamilton and the car suggest that Mercedes will be victorious in Abu Dhabi.
Odds to win: 1.55
Max Verstappen
From the start of the 2021 season, Max Verstappen has been the favourite to win the title. In the last three races, he has been the second, finishing behind Lewis Hamilton.
In almost all competitions, he has been the main competitor of the race winners. And that means he has been on top of his form.
In many races, Max Verstappen has been both clever and quick, especially in recent competitions.
If not for a crash in the qualifying round in Saudi Arabia, he should have been on pole. Verstappen won the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, grabbing pole by .025 seconds from Valtteri and leading each lap, which means he is not ill-suited to the Yas Marina track.
Odds to win: 2.75
Race Win
Dark Horse: Carlos Sainz
Amid a chaotic event, last weekend, Carlos Sainz and his Ferrari car managed to continue the stronghold on the midfield. In a competition that turned upside down in most parts, team Ferrari managed to come home 7th and 8th. His consistency has aided the excellent form of Carlos Sainz in the second half.
Except for two races, Carlos Sainz has finished with some good points. Carlos is an outsider who is a favourite to win the race at Yas Marina. Overall, he can finish the season among the top five positions.
Odds to win: 67.00
Our Prediction
Every fan wants the Drivers’ Championship title to be decided on the Yas Marina track and not in the steward office. If it is decided on the track, we are sure that Lewis Hamilton will be the winner. According to sportsbooks and experts, he is the favourite to win the race. We highly support Lewis to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as well as the Drivers’ Championship trophy.