Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton go into the ultimate race of the season, Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, stage on factors.

It’s a outstanding state of affairs that has solely occurred as soon as earlier than within the sport’s 71-year historical past, when Emerson Fittipaldi and Clay Reggazoni entered the 1974 finale stage.

Within the trendy period it’s uncharted territory. The championship went to the ultimate race of the season in 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016, however on every event there was an outright factors chief.

1 Associated

Although each drivers have 369.5 factors, Verstappen leads the championship by advantage of the “countback” rule. He has 9 victories to Hamilton’s eight and can due to this fact win the championship if he’s nonetheless stage on factors together with his rival come the top of the race.

In contrast to most F1 championship showdowns, the permutations for this one are extremely easy in most situations — the driving force who finishes forward of his rival wins the title.

There is just one state of affairs the place Verstappen can nonetheless win regardless of ending behind Hamilton.

Given the best way F1’s factors are handed out, and his lead on countback, he would nonetheless win the title if Hamilton completed ninth and he completed tenth and claimed the bonus level for quickest lap. In that occasion, each drivers would rating two factors.

The bonus level can solely be claimed if a driver finishes within the high ten, so if Hamilton was tenth and Verstappen out of the factors with quickest lap, Hamilton would win the title.

Nevertheless, on condition that the pair have completed one-two on the final 5 races, these look like extremely unlikely eventualities.

Whereas Verstappen is on the lookout for his first championship, Hamilton goes for an eighth. Doing so would transfer him away from Michael Schumacher, who he at the moment shares first on the all-time listing with, as essentially the most profitable driver within the historical past of F1.

Constrcutor Championship

The groups battle is much less tight. Mercedes leads Purple Bull by 28 factors with one race and a most of 44 factors to be received in Abu Dhabi.

Mercedes due to this fact solely wants to attain 17 factors to say the championship.

F1’s factors are handed out to the highest ten finishers within the following order: 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1. Meaning the bottom end result Mercedes wants is for its drivers to complete fifth and seventh, with considered one of them claiming the quickest lap, with a purpose to take that title.

Purple Bull boss Christian Horner admitted on Sunday: “Constructors [title] we’re on the again foot now. We want a miracle to win that.”