(Motorsport) Formula 1 has always been at its best when two world class drivers have fought hard and fast for the coveted Drivers Championship. For veteran fans, the rivalries of Alain Prost vs Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell vs Nelson Piquet, Michael Schumacher vs Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton vs Nico Rosberg will be remembered for years to come as reasons why they fell in love with the sport and for the younger generation who are growing up in the Hamilton-Verstappen era, it is a similar feeling that makes Formula 1 such a thrill to watch.
For even the most hardcore fans, the Mercedes dominance in the last few years has been a dull affair. After all, what sort of race would be exciting if only one team and driver always win? It became a period of the best of the rest while the Silver Arrows and Hamilton began an era of dominance that is scarcely seen in the sport. The reason why the 2021 season has been such a breath of fresh air is that Lewis Hamilton has finally found a formidable competitor in Max Verstappen to inject some excitement, rivalry, heated battles and a sense of anticipation to the sport. Even though the signs have pointed towards a rivalry of sorts, few would have predicted that the Championship would go right down to the wire with both drivers on equal points with a winner taking all situation in the final race of the season.
This season has had it all, plenty of controversies, extraordinary skills under pressure, unpredictable results and personal rivalries. Both drivers deserve to win the championship, unfortunately only one can and while Verstappen has had the slightly better season, Lewis Hamilton has the experience and momentum to get the desired result in Abu Dhabi. Both of them are at different stages in their careers, one is young and hungry to win his maiden World Championship while the other is attempting to win a record eighth, thereby becoming the only driver in Formula 1 history to achieve the feat. It’s fair to say that everyone knew that only Max Verstappen had the potential to threaten Mercedes’ and Hamilton’s dominance but the Dutchman never really had the tools at his disposal until this season to attempt a credible title challenge. However, the 24 year old is at the risk of sacrificing all his hard work from the season so far if he fails to keep his composure at the Yas Marina Circuit.
There have been plenty of wheel-to-wheel clashes between the two drivers this season with a consistent theme of Verstappen being the aggressor more often than not. The pair collided at Silverstone, Monza (resulting in a grid penalty for Verstappen) and most recently in last week’s Saudi Arabia GP. These incidents have somewhat tarnished what has otherwise been a rivalry that has really showcased the brilliance of the two racing drivers. The various incidents throughout the season have undoubtedly deteriorated the relationship between the pair with mind games and press conference remarks a common occurrence. The rivalry has trickled down to their team bosses as well with Christian Horner and Toto Wolff regularly clashing against each other and criticizing the star driver from the other teams. In an interview recently, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said “There is no relationship, there's a competition” referring to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
All things considered, all eyes will be at the Yas Marina Circuit where Verstappen and Hamilton race against each other for the Drivers Championship. This season has been one of unexpected results with the French GP where Mercedes were considered favorites was won by Red Bull while Mercedes outperformed their rivals at the Hungarian GP where Red Bull have traditionally excelled. The United States GP has been a happy hunting ground for Mercedes over the years but it was Max Verstappen and Red Bull who won it this time around, so it’s impossible to predict the overall outcome of the Abu Dhabi GP. One can only hope for a clean and fair race with two of the greatest Formula 1 drivers battling it out for the ultimate glory.
