(Motorsport) The second last race of the 2021 Formula 1 season is set to take place in Saudi Arabia’s Corniche Circuit in what has been described as the fastest track in the history of the sport. A win at Jeddah for Max Verstappen would make him the World Champion for the first time in his career and the Dutchman along with Red Bull will hope to conclude their title pursuit this weekend.

However, the momentum is undoubtedly with Hamilton and Mercedes. The seven time World Champion won the last two races in Brazil and Qatar with the Corniche Circuit expected to favor Mercedes’ pace. The track is the newest street circuit in the Formula 1 calendar and with an average speed of 160 mph, it is only behind Monza as the fastest on the whole calendar. The track is also the second longest in Formula 1 behind Spa with high speed turns, little run-off and tight walls.

The race is expected to be action packed with three DRS zones to encourage overtaking and despite the circuit having 27 corners, straight line speed will be an important factor in the outcome of the race, which is why Mercedes are expected to be favourites. Ross Brawn, F1 managing director of motorsports said “The design brings out the best of a modern street circuit but also has fast-paced free-flowing areas that will create fast speeds and overtaking opportunities”. 

Despite Saudi Arabia hosting its first Formula 1 race, the Corniche Circuit is unlikely to be the venue for future Grand Prix’s beyond 2024 as a purpose built venue is being developed closer to the capital of Riyadh to ensure easy accessibility for both drivers and fans. As things stand, Max Verstappen is eight points ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and the Red Bull driver will secure the World Championship in the following scenarios:

1) If he wins the race with the fastest lap point and Hamilton finishes below 5th place

2) If he wins the race without the fastest lap point and Hamilton finishes below 6th

3) If he finishes second with the fastest lap point and Hamilton finishes below 9th

4) If he is second and Hamilton does not get any points

In a realistic scenario, both drivers are expected to finish first and second respectively with their team ordering the second drivers to aid them in achieving a positive result. Both the drivers are noticeably faster than their peers and a victory for Verstappen with Hamilton in second place would make him a very likely candidate to seal the Drivers Championship. In terms of pure performance, Mercedes has the edge over Red Bull with the Silver Arrows 0.248secs faster in qualifying. However, being faster on the straights does not necessarily equate to being faster over a lap and many factors apart from pure speed are integral in determining the final result.

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There is also controversy surrounding the race as Red Bull have raised questions about Mercedes’ rear wing and whether it complies with Formula 1 regulations. They believe that the main plane flexes backwards, thereby reducing drag and increasing straight line speed. Verstappen has claimed that the team have video evidence of the wing flexing which would prove how Hamilton managed to climb up the grid at the Brazil Grand Prix. Mercedes have denied these claims and their rear wing passed the rigidity test comfortably before the Qatar Grand Prix.

Red Bull are experiencing their own rear wing issues with the DRS flap oscillating when it’s open and the team have struggled to repair it. The issue was resolved in Qatar by replacing it with a high downforce wing which is now the ‘preferred option’ as per team boss Christian Horner but the races in Saudi and Abu Dhabi are expected to suit a medium downforce wing and failure to repair the issue might result in some serious disadvantage for Red Bull and Verstappen.

The race will take place on Sunday, 5th December from 11 pm IST onwards.