BEFORE PRACTICE
Formula 1 will hold the last race of the year this Sunday. The season was shaken on and off the track, with big fights on the asphalt, but with the great dominance of Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton, in addition to the whole schedule having changes because of the pandemic.
And for the 12th time in its history, Abu Dhabi hosts a race of the biggest series of motorsport in the world, with the promise of good fights for the runners-up championship and third place in the Constructors World Championship. At the time of publication of this article, Lewis Hamilton's presence at the GP was uncertain. Motorsport.com has selected some tips for the weekend to help you when placing your bets, check it out:
Big surprise for the Sakhir GP, Sergio Pérez crowned his great season with a victory. The Mexican didn´t score points only once in the season when he was racing, at the first race in Bahrain, when his Racing Point engine failed when he was in third place. It is very difficult to think that he will have another opportunity to win, but he will certainly be among the first placed. Top-6: Sergio Pérez
So far, 11 of the 16 races this season have had the safety car. The Yas Marina circuit combines two long straights and very tight stretches, which turns out to be a perfect combination of speed and fight between the drivers on the brakes, especially on the first lap. Safety Car Period: Yes
Max Verstappen was very unlucky at the Sakhir GP, being 'collected' in the accident involving Charles Leclerc and Sergio Pérez. The Dutchman is the main star of Red Bull, which consolidated itself as the second best team on the grid in 2020. He is still in the fight for the runner-up championship, against Valtteri Bottas. The Finnish form is not the best, so a good result for Max is more than likely. Top-3: Max Verstappen
Daniel Ricciardo will say his goodbye to Renault in Abu Dhabi, as next year he will be with McLaren. The Australian owns two of the team's three podiums and has maintained a great consistency. He has scored points since the Belgian Grand Prix, the seventh race of the championship. Top-10: Daniel Ricciardo
AFTER PRACTICE
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be the last F1 race of the year and the cars have already hit the track at Yas Marina this Friday. The big news was the presence of Lewis Hamilton, who managed to have the necessary negative tests for Covid-19 and will have the opportunity to close the season with a victory.
After Hamilton's arrival and the first two free practice sessions, check out the tips that the Motorsport.com team selected for you:
Owner of 10 poles in 2020 in 16 races, Lewis Hamilton is the big favorite to win the 99th pole of his career, despite a week recovering from Covid-19. Even though Valtteri Bottas was the fastest in the second free practice, the Englishman did a faster lap, but was eliminated because he exceeded the limits of the track. Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton also owns five wins in 11 F1 races in Abu Dhabi, having climbed to the top of the podium in the last two races. In a Mercedes that stood out in the championship, it is natural to think that there will be no other owner for the triumph. Victory: Lewis Hamilton
One of the most talked drivers during the week was Valtteri Bottas. The Finn showed good speed on Friday, but is not in a good form. Among those active, in addition to Hamilton, Bottas also won in Abu Dhabi, along with Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. The Ferrari and Alfa Romeo drivers have no chance, but Bottas can easily take the podium if he follows Hamilton as he did for much of the championship, as well as worrying about confirming the runner-up. Top-3: Valtteri Bottas
