Head-to-Head At Yas Marina

This weekend marks the final race of the 2021 season for Formula 1 and it’ll be pitting both Mercedes and Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen against each other as they go into the final race tied on points. To raise the stakes even higher, this race will also be the decider for the championship too with both teams very much in with the running to win and a substantial amount of prize money too. Punters will certainly be looking to wager on the final title race, with others wagering at their favorite play options at https://ukonlinecasinoslist.com/ in the meantime – but how close is the race looking and who will likely win?

The track – Historically the Yas Marina circuit has been heavily favored for the Mercedes with their great straight-line speed, and with the new configuration it only plays into their car more too – there are still some tight turns where the Red Bull can make up a bit of time, but with the rocket-powered engine that’s to be placed in the Mercedes once again for the same performance boost seen in Brazil, on pure performance alone it looks as if the Mercedes could find quite a substantial advantage.

The drivers – Verstappen has found some criticism over the past few races for taking some liberties on the racing line and perhaps being a bit more aggressive than needed, and Hamilton hasn’t escaped criticism for the same in the past. The rice director and stewards may certainly look to be a bit more hands-on with the final race and have issued a statement suggesting that a points deduction could certainly be possible if neither driver respects the rules throughout the weekend and have seemingly issued some steeper warnings about clean driving and ensuring track limits are respected throughout the weekend. 

The strategy – The final race will feature the softest compound tyres, and although the race will take place in the evening, which will be a cooler environment, the strategy will play out. It’s a very fast track, it could be a close shave towards the end for the teams that may look to have a longer stint on the hard tyres, and given the tyre performance throughout the rest of the season pushing the tyres too far could be the season decider with unexpected failures and punctures being a recurring theme. 

Either way, it’s going to be an exciting and intense battle, the hope will be as clean a race as possible with some respectful driving – and with the 2022 season set to be very different with the new cars and new regs, it’s the end of the current turbo-hybrid era before the new one begins.

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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

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