A F1 title showdown as it happens

ABU DHABI, UAE – Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are battling for the F1 championship this weekend.

They are level in points, so the stakes are clear. Repeat the driver above wins unless Hamilton is ninth and Verstappen with the 10th fastest lap bonus point.

Verstappen would win any match against him as he has more wins this year than Hamilton.

The championship of the match has attracted worldwide attention and this competition is becoming a record. ESPN is at the heart of Yas Marina’s operations and covers everything.

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Max, Lewis will face a point reduction if the collision settles the title – Michael Masi, the director of the FIA ​​race, reminded both candidates that the race juries have the power to reduce points or ban all cases they consider “unsportsmanlike”.

Verstappen thinks less about Hamilton – Speaking on Thursday’s Zoom call, Verstappen said this year’s events have made him think less of seven-time champion Hamilton and his Mercedes.

F1 showdown like Squid Game – Christian Horner compared this weekend’s title maker to a bloody, deadly battle in the popular Netflix program.

Alonso: Verstappen has been a superior driver – Which may not be so surprising, two-time champion Fernando Alonso said he will support Verstappen against Hamilton this weekend.

Verstappen defeated Hamilton on the pole as the solver – Qualification report

A crazy tour of one of the best in Verstappen – Christian Horner and Alonso were amazed by Verstappen’s pole vault before the race.

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on saturday

Eligibility: Max Verstappen is in the pole position with one of the best performances of his career. What a time to pull it out of the bag.

The Verstappen lap was somewhat surprising, and Mercedes seemed to keep the lead ahead of the session on the swing. But Verstappen was definitely there when it mattered, and put himself in a commanding position to win tomorrow.

However, it is foolish to write off his rivals. Hamilton is second, and they both leave on different tires, promising an attractive race.

On Saturday night on Twitter, Hamilton wrote, “P2 in the front row tomorrow, not bad because I prefer the fight. We look strong and feel focused – we have to dig deeper than ever before.

–Nate Saunders

11:30: After the madness of the Saudi GP on Sunday, this has been pretty low compared to … so far. Hamilton and Verstappen sat side by side at a press conference on Thursday, but no big shots were fired – they didn’t pose in a handshake despite the presence of photographers.

Wolff and Horner shook hands twice at their press conference the next day, but the opportunity was far from their hectic conference ahead of the Qatar GP.

Abu Dhabi’s Paddock has felt like a storm in the opening days of the event. As the front and back flash of excitement around the world, the two men in the middle of it are as calm as you want. Verstappen did not seem annoyed by the questions asked of him on Thursday, as he has in the past faced with controversial issues (mainly related to his own driving style).

Red Bull is calm on the outside, but you can see that this weekend the paddock is talking to anyone in Red Bull colors, there’s real tension beneath the surface. Mercedes is no stranger to the championship showdown, but unlike in 2014 and 2016, when a fight was fought between its two drivers, this is against a competing team, adding to the advantage of procedures it has not experienced before.

There’s a feeling neither driver or team wants to add to the excitement further this weekend. It’s refreshing, as the feeling around this championship fight had felt pretty ugly in recent weeks. However, I do not see it as sustainable. Things will pick up tonight as soon as we have a qualifier under the lights.

–Nate Saunders