Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen – how will F1 title finale pan out?

F1: Hamilton v Verstappen in numbers

A tense title race, long-running silly season sagas and lots of high-profile on-track drama – the 2021 F1 season really has had it all. Just five races remain in this enthralling season, and we’re still no closer to finding out who will be crowned world champion at the end of it. More than that, it’s been full of twists and turns from the front of the grid to the back of the field – something we haven’t always seen in recent years.

It couldn’t have been timed any better, as many would argue that the sport was in danger of becoming a little stale.

Lewis Hamilton’s brilliance and the ultra-consistent performance delivery of this incredible Mercedes team should be celebrated for the incredible things they have achieved, but the same dominant forces year after year would make any sport lose its gloss a little.

It wasn’t just at the front of the grid where we kept seeing the same old thing either – there was an air of predictability about much of the field from the front-runners to the back markers.

That’s all gone out of with window this year, with Max Verstappen and Red Bull pushing Hamilton and Mercedes all the way, a resurgent Ferrari battling fiercely with McLaren to be best in the midfield and a few surprise race winners – plus, it’s nice to see Williams scoring points again.

And things will hopefully get even more exciting in 2022, when a swathe of technical rule changes will come into force which, hopefully, will shake up the grid and make things even more unpredictable.

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Will Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton win the 2021 F1 world title?

Will Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton win the 2021 F1 world title? (Image: GETTY)

But as for the rest of 2021, how can we expect things to go? With the unpredictability of this year and the potential for crashes and mechanical problems it’s hard to stick your neck out, but we have done so anyway:

Mexican Grand Prix – Sunday, November 7

The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is by far the track with the highest altitude of any on the F1 calendar – something which has generally favoured the Red Bull machines more than Mercedes in terms of performance.

But that doesn’t necessarily always have a bearing on the race result. Hamilton and Verstappen have each won this race twice, while Mercedes have three victories in Mexico City since 2015, compared to just the two for Red Bull.

Verstappen has momentum, though, and his US GP win proved that he does indeed have the calmness and maturity to hold of Hamilton when the going gets tough that some still accuse the Dutchman of lacking.

Seeing Sergio Perez win in front of his adoring home crowd would be the most romantic outcome, but it’s hard to see Red Bull allowing the Mexican to sit in front of his championship-chasing team-mate – team orders could come into play.

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The weather is expected to be sunny all weekend, so it will be all down to who can get the most performance out of their cars on the slick tyres.

Back-to-back race winners have been far less common this season than they have in previous years, but Verstappen has to be the favourite for this one.

Prediction
1. Max Verstappen
2. Lewis Hamilton
3. Sergio Perez

Brazilian Grand Prix – Sunday, November 14

Like the track in Mexico, Interlagos is also at a higher altitude than other tracks on the calendar, though racers will be much closer to sea level than they were the weekend before.

So another race in which Red Bull should be able to get more performance out of their cars – but it’s a track at which Mercedes have won in four of the last six visits.

Interlagos is an iconic staple on the F1 calendar

Interlagos is an iconic staple on the F1 calendar (Image: GETTY)

The last winner here, though, was Verstappen, and he will be hoping to make it three in a row for the second time in the 2021 season with victory in Sao Paulo.

If it turns out Hamilton does need another power unit between now and the end of the season, it might make most sense for him to take the grid penalty here.

Red Bull will likely be the favourites at Interlagos anyway, and it would leave the seven-time world champion with a penalty-free crack at the final three races while being able to squeeze every bit of performance out of his brand new engine.

It would likely mean he slips further behind Verstappen in the short-term, but might have the pace later on to claw it back.

Elsewhere, there has been a Ferrari on the podium every year since 2015 at this track – Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will be hopeful of continuing that streak.

Prediction
1. Max Verstappen
2. Charles Leclerc
3. Valtteri Bottas

Qatar Grand Prix – Sunday, November 21

F1 has never raced in Qatar before, so there is no form guide to go off when it comes to predictions for this one.

From what we’ve seen of it, it looks like it has a large number of longer radius corners that might benefit the Red Bull machines more, but at the end of the day it will all come down to who is better prepared.

We’ve already had a couple of surprise winners so far this season, and it’s not inconceivable we might see another before it ends. It would certainly throw the cat among the title race pigeons, too.

After his heartbreak in Sochi it would be nice to see Lando Norris scoop that maiden victory, but McLaren looks to have been overtaken for pace by midfield rivals Ferrari, thanks to a timely engine upgrade.

Building on his second-placed finish in Brazil, Leclerc could go one better in Qatar to secure the Prancing Horse’s first win since 2019 and round off this triple-header in style.

Wishful thinking, perhaps, but this season has been unpredictable enough to make it a decent possibility.

Prediction
1. Charles Leclerc
2. Lewis Hamilton
3. Max Verstappen

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Sunday, December 5

Another track unknown to F1 racers – because construction hasn’t even finished yet.

With 27 corners and what is promised to be a fast street circuit-type feel, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit might be the most unique venue on the calendar.

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is being built specifically to feature in F1

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is being built specifically to feature in F1 (Image: FORMULA 1)

Again, there is no form guide for this track, but there is a lot of the circuit that will be taken at full throttle, which should be beneficial to Mercedes and their superior drag reduction system.

With that in mind and the likelihood he will be using a fairly new engine, Hamilton has to be the favourite for F1’s first trip to Saudi Arabia.

If Verstappen has already won in Mexico and Brazil by this point, then he’s going to need it to close that gap at the top of the standings.

It feels written in the stars that the two racers will head into Abu Dhabi with the title still up in the air, so Hamilton may need a sizeable points swing to go in his favour in Jeddah.

They would be massively boosted in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships if Valtteri Bottas can extract the performance from his car to dominate alongside his team-mate.

If he does, it’s hard to see any other team getting a look in here.

Prediction
1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Valtteri Bottas
3. Max Verstappen

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Sunday, December 12

Before last year, Mercedes had won every single race in the UAE since 2014 and it was hard to see any other constructor ending that dominance.

The 2021 season could be set for a spectacular final-day showdown in Abu Dhabi

The 2021 season could be set for a spectacular final-day showdown in Abu Dhabi (Image: GETTY)

Red Bull and Verstappen did in 2020 – though in fairness both titles had already been confirmed for both Hamilton and Mercedes long before the paddock had touched down in Abu Dhabi.

It is a track, though, at which qualifying is hugely important. Whoever qualifies on pole at Yas Marina tends to win the race, so getting everything out of their cars on the Saturday could be crucial to whoever wins this race – and the title.

McLaren went very will here last year and will be hopeful of repeating the trick this time around as well, but they will need to find the pace to get themselves back in front of their Ferrari rivals in terms of performance.

It’s hard to imagine anyone but one of the title protagonists winning here, though. And, with Verstappen coming into this one still leading in the standings, according to our predictions, he might well have the momentum to finish the job in style.

If it goes how we think, then we might have a brand new world champion in 2021 after all – but Mercedes should just about be able to hold on to their constructors’ title.

Prediction
1. Max Verstappen
2. Lewis Hamilton
3. Daniel Ricciardo

source: express.co.uk