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- Max Verstappen says he's looking to up the pace in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
- Sergio Perez hopes the team can secure maximum points for the constructor's championship.
- AlphaTauri drivers are confident they have the speed and capability to thrive at Yas Marina.
- For motoring news, go to Wheels24
Tensions undoubtedly ran high last Sunday (5 December) as Formula 1 teams battled each other for the first time on the fresh blacktop at the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in the Middle East. Lewis Hamilton, in his ever-dominant Mercedes-AMG, emerged victorious.
However, Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen would ensure that the driver's championship comes down to the wire at this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by securing the silver step on the podium ahead of Hamilton's teammate Valterri Bottas.
Verstappen's Red Bull Racing Honda suffered through a rollercoaster day that saw breathtaking passes for the lead, penalties that took the lead from him and a collision with Hamilton to finish second. When coupled with Hamilton's win, Verstappen's result gave both drivers 369.5 points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Tough battle for the Honda-powered teams
Starting third, Verstappen caught the first break of the day when a safety car period turned into a red flag for Mick Schumacher's crash, allowing the Honda-powered driver to leapfrog the Mercedes-AMG of Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas as the two leaders pitted early in the safety car period.
Verstappen held the lead on the restart, but a crash involving Scuderia Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Sergio Perez stopped progress. Perez suffered race-ending damage and retired after 15 laps.
The Honda-powered Scuderia AlphaTauri duo had strong starting positions again, with Pierre Gasly starting sixth while rookie Yuki Tsunoda started in eighth place. Gasly had a solid race, running strong all day and finishing sixth. Tsunoda had a couple of contact instances and received a time penalty from the F1 Stewards, leaving him to place 14th.
Who do you think will win in Abu Dhabi this weekend? But more importantly, who do you think will win the driver's championship: Max or Lewis? Share your opinion in the comments section below.
It all comes down to one race!
After 21 races this season, the driver's title chase is a dead heat going into next weekend's Abu Dhabi GP, marking the first time since 1974 when Emerson Fittipaldi and Clay Regazzoni went to Watkins Glen in a tie for first in a championship chase that eventually went to Fittipaldi.
Here's what the Honda-powered drivers had to say about the race in Jeddah and what their sentiment is like going into the final race in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
1. Max Verstappen - Red Bull Racing Honda (started third in Jeddah, finished second)
"There was definitely a lot of action in Saudi Arabia, a lot of things happened. I was told to give the position back, so I moved off the racing line and slowed down, Lewis just stayed behind me, I don't understand why he didn't pass. I don't agree with the five-second penalty, but it is what it is and we'll just move on. We didn't have perfect pace in the race last weekend, so that's something to work on looking ahead to Abu Dhabi. We're on equal points now heading into the final race; it's going to be an exciting end to the season."
2. Sergio Perez - Red Bull Racing Honda (started fifth in Jeddah, did not finish (DNF))
"It wasn't the best weekend for us. We lost crucial points in the Constructors' Championship, so we are going to Abu Dhabi now to try and turn things around. We were slightly unlucky with the first red flag but we got away well after the second restart. We got past Gasly and Charles and as I was coming out of turn three there just wasn't enough room for everyone, given how the corner was. I ended up tangling with Charles; he clipped my rear tyre with his front right tyre.
"It was a bad moment for everyone, but just a very unlucky one. It is just a big shame because we needed those points. I stayed with the car out on track because we were trying to turn the engine back on, we thought we could restart it, but it was a bit on the hot side, so we had to retire. It was a very important race for the team in Saudi Arabia, so this one hurts a lot, but there is hope for Abu Dhabi. There is still optimism and something to fight for, and we will give the final race of the season everything, so let's look forward."
3. Pierre Gasly - Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda (started and finished sixth in Jeddah)
"I'm very pleased with today, finishing in the top six in front of Ferrari, I'm really happy with that result, and we're taking home a lot of points again. We knew it was going to be tricky coming to a new track, but we've performed well throughout the weekend and had a strong starting position today. It was a difficult race, with lots of things happening and it was very long, which meant it required a lot of focus. We know how complicated it is into the first corner here, so having three starts was intense, but we tried to take every opportunity we could, and in the end, I think we did a good job."
4. Yuki Tsunoda - Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda (started eight in Jeddah, finished 14th)
"It was a tough weekend. I struggled at the beginning of the race, but I think the final restart went well, and I managed to gain back some places. Unfortunately, I pushed a bit too hard, and I had the collision with Vettel. The pace in the car was looking quite good at that point in the race, so I should've held off and waited for another opportunity to overtake, it was my mistake, and I've apologised to him. It's frustrating as I feel like points were on offer today."
The final race of the 2021 Formula 1 season takes place this weekend, 10-12 December, in Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina circuit.
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