2021 Abu Dhabi F1 GP Predictions: Hamilton For the 8th or Verstappen For the 1st Time?

It has only happened once before in Formula 1 history that two drivers were level on points at the top ahead of the last race. In 1974 and now, 2021 when Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are head-to-head in the championship. So the result of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will also decide the winner of the season. The 2021 Abu Dhabi F1 GP predictions favor the seven-time champion to finish on top but surely the Brit won’t have an easy job against his tough rival. 

This Formula 1 season has already brought unbelievable excitement with the top drivers racing head-to-head on several occasions. Their rivalry reached its peak in the previous race in Saudi Arabia. Where Hamilton managed to win after a fantastic race between him and Verstappen throughout the 50 laps. Both drivers overtook the other a couple of times, sometimes in questionable conditions.

During the race the Red Bull driver had to hand his lead to Hamilton after his moves were viewed dangerous. Hamilton got the crucial 25 points. And with the extra point for the fastest lap, he caught his rival in the overall standings. So now they will arrive in Abu Dhabi level on points. It has happened only once before, back in 1974 when Emerson Fittipaldi and Clay Regazzoni both had 52 points ahead of the last race. The Brazilian finished fourth in that race and won the title ahead of his Swiss rival. Let’s see who can claim the victory this year. 

2021 Abu Dhabi F1 GP Predictions Favor Hamilton 

Lewis Hamilton is a seven-time F1 champion but this situation will be new even for him. The last time he had to concentrate as much on the last race as now was five years ago, in 2016. Then he fought against his Mercedes teammate, Nico Rosberg who was leading 12 points ahead of him. The Brit won the last race in Abu Dhabi but Rosberg finished behind him in second place. Which also meant that the German managed to win his first and only title. Now Hamilton would be much happier with a similar result. As if he won the last race now he would win his eighth title as well. 

Online sportsbooks in the UK trust him to get the job done and offer the odds of 1.50 for his victory in their 2021 Abu Dhabi F1 GP predictions. But if we check the result of last year’s race here, the picture is not so clear. As in 2020, Verstappen won the race at the Yas Marina Circuit after starting from the pole. He finished ahead of Valteri Bottas and Hamilton who has already won the championship by then. Even though the result wasn’t that important for the Mercedes driver, it still shows that Verstappen can beat him on this circuit. But surely Lewis will concentrate more this weekend and aim for his sixth win in one of his strongest circuits. 

Can Verstappen Win The Title?

Yes, and many Formula 1 fans hope that he will actually defeat Hamilton. Some of them are simply bored of the same driver and team winning the championship year after year. While others really love Verstappen’s brilliant driving. The 24-year-old Red Bull driver will fight until the very end for sure and won’t back off in any situation. Hopefully, he won’t crash with Hamilton as sometimes his driving just seems a bit too brave. But until now Verstappen managed to handle all of these situations and was driving more mature than in the previous seasons. Red Bull also improved a lot this year and got very close to Mercedes. The team won 9 races with Max this season and finished as a runner-up eight more times. 

This weekend the only aim is though to finish ahead of Hamilton anywhere in the top 10. Online gambling sites in the UK offer the odds of 2.87 for Verstappen’s victory. But even a fifth-place can mean the title for the Dutch if Hamilton finishes behind him. They are likely to race at the top though after dominating the field. The Abu Dhabi GP will be the last race of Valteri Bottas as a Mercedes driver. The Finnish can play a key role and help Hamilton to his historical title. Just like Sergio Perez on the other side at Red Bull.  Either of them can even get the win on Sunday if their teammates crash out. But it’s more likely that they will fight for third place which can also decide the Constructor’s Championship. 

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