It means it’s the first time in 47 years that both title protagonists head into the final dead level, setting Yas Marina up as the first title decider since Nico Rosberg beat Hamilton to the title in 2016 for Mercedes.
This time it would be the British driver’s eighth world title, and Verstappen’s maiden, as the British-based German team and Red Bull go head-to-head for one final time in 2021.
The battle is finely poised with Hamilton and Verstappen level on points, but the Red Bull driver holds a slight advantage because he’s won one more race than his rival this season (9). That means he will be crowned champion if the pair fail to finish in Abu Dhabi, raising fears of Verstappen taking out Hamilton.
The two drivers clashed once again on the weekend in a tense Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which was eventually won by Hamilton.