Abu Dhabi 2021 flashbacks? Max Verstappen Vs Lewis Hamilton rivalry reignited ahead of the final race as Mercedes finally gets competitive
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Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen after the Abu Dhabi GP
The Abu Dhabi GP weekend lies upon us and the topic of last year’s championship battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will be reignited. The F1 circus comes back to Yas Marina a year after what was the most bonkers race of the decade. Drama, suspense, nervousness and what not. You name it, the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix had it all.
Over the last season, a championship battle was brewing between the two giants namely Mercedes and Red Bull. One had the throne to themselves for multiple years whilst the other wanted to snatch that throne away and keep it all for themselves. This created a rivalry which will surely be going down in history as one of the most fierce rivalries to have been instigated in Formula 1.
From the crash in Silverstone to the mishap in Monza. All the devilish behaviour portrayed by Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen went on to show how fierce and out of control their rivalry was. Then came the Abu Dhab gp of 2021 where both the drivers went with equal points in the standings. This weekend went on to change everything for both individuals.
Last year we got to see the most fierce battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton
After get the pole on Saturday, Max Verstappen was still not satisfied as he started that only ‘50%’ of the job was done. That theory came to play on sunday as Lewis Hamilton managed to pass him at the start in what seemed to be a tacky move. However the race came to an end with Max passing Lewis Hamilton at the last lap in order to become World Champion for the first time.
Even though the championship was won under complicated circumstances, there is every reason to believe that both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were equally deserving of the championship nevertheless. It must have been hard for the British driver to rise back up from such a gigantic defeat as he went on to take on 2022 and the new regulations that came along with it.
After having what could be the ‘best’ car for many years in F1, the 2022 season was like a kick in the guts for Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen went on to dominate this year and went on to win his second title in Japan which was a few races back. Such was the lead that the Red Bull driver had procured. The 7 time world champion is yet to grab his first win of the season but it sure looks like a dream as there is only one race left.
Lewis Hamilton still has a chance to win
With Max Verstappen winning 14 races so far this season, he as already beaten Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel’s record of winning 13 in a season. With Red Bull and Ferrari trading places to be the fastest car during a weekend, Mercedes seemed to be nowhere due to their issues with porpoising and their overall pace. This was later rectified.
The Brackley based squad made changes over the season in order to improve the car. As we approach the last race of the season, it has been known that George Russell got his maiden win last weekend as Mercedes scored a 1-2 at the Brazil GP. These are signs that the team has finally improved which is a great situation for Lewis Hamilton who will be approaching Abu Dhabi with some sort revenge plea.
After all the events that occurred last year, Lewis Hamilton has finally seemed to get the right car to fight Max Verstappen and what a better way to beat him than the circuit where the Dutch driver absolutely humiliated the Mercedes driver. With both the drivers seemingly still having some tension between them, things could get ugly quite soon during the race weekend at Yas Marina.
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Varad Joshi
(940 Articles Published)