One race to go to decide F1’s best title fight in years
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
On the pole for the Formula One finale is Max Verstappen, a breakthrough young star with an entire sports-obsessed country behind him. He is short on words, instead allowing his aggressive driving to speak for him.
Next to him on the starting grid at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday is Lewis Hamilton:
The seven-time world champion is a trailblazer — the only black driver in F1 — a global sports icon and activist for social change.
After 21 races of the most competitive, dramatic season in at least a decade, they arrived at Yas Marina Circuit tied in the standings, a statistic so improbable it’s not happened since 1974.
One of them will emerge as the world champion:
Either Hamilton earning a record eighth title that would break a tie with Michael Schumacher. Or Verstappen, who would be the first Dutch victor in F1 history.
“This is what this epic championship deserves,” Mercedes head Toto Wolff said after Vertstappen claimed the pole on Saturday.
This is a title fight that’s been called among the greatest in sport history, likened to both James Hunt vs. Niki Lauda in 1976 and Ayrton Senna vs. Alain Prost in 1990.
The contenders have gone wheel-to-wheel across four continents, combining for 17 wins; Verstappen won nine, giving him the title if the season ends in a tie. They’ve crashed into each other three times — Verstappen’s car actually landed atop Hamilton’s once — and their teams have feuded openly to ensure the fourth season of the Netflix docuseries
“Drive To Survive” will be the best one yet.
And now a first title is in reach for Verstappen, who overcame a mistake in qualifying to win the pole with a tow from Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
The last six pole winners in Abu Dhabi have won the race — including Verstappen last year, when he led all 55 laps to score the 10th win of his career.
The 24-year-old son of former F1 driver Jos “The Boss” Verstappen has challenged for the title with a driving style criticized by former champions — including Hamilton — as beyond the acceptable on-track risk.
Verstappen has complained he’s held to a higher standard than other drivers, and he wants the stewards to stay out of this race. After winning the pole Saturday, to the delight of a throng of fans wearing Dutch orange, Verstappen said he was ready for the final round of this fight.