Formula One: Predicting the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The Formula One contingent has touched down in United Arab Emirates. The 21st round of the ongoing F1 Championship will take place at Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi.

Lewis Hamilton has already clinched his sixth World Driver Championship in USA with a second place finish. With the championship win, the British driver has cemented his place as one of Formula One legends.

Mercedes has already clinched the driver and constructor championship but the battle for the remaining spots is on as the teams and drivers look to fight for the scrapes that has been left behind the marauding Mercedes.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the last race of the season and the teams and their drivers would want to end the year on a high. This will enable them to start next year with a new found belief and confidence to upstage Mercedes.

Let’s look at the past winner, the circuit specification and predict who will come up trumps in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Who won the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?

The last round of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship was won by the reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton. The six-time champion started the race from the pole and was unperturbed as he clinched the race quite comfortably.

The race also marked the end of Fernando Alonso illustrious Formula 1 career. The Spaniard celebrated the occasion by performing doughnuts on the pit straight alongside Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, the other two World Champions who completed the race.

What are the pole positions for the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?

World Champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes stormed to the pole in the season ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This was his 88th pole of his career with a time of 1:34.779. This was also his 10th pole at Yas Marina.

 Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, Valtteri Bottas came in second but he’ll be starting from the back of the pack having changed a series of engine components to trigger grid penalties.

This will propel Brazilian Grand Prix winner, Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing to the front row. The Dutchman will be followed by the two Ferrari’s of Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel..

What are the specifications of Yas Marina Circuit?

First Grand Prix hosted: 2009

Total Laps: 55

Circuit length: 5.554 km

Race distance: 305.355 km

Race lap record: 1:40.279 (Sebastian Vettel, 2009)

Most wins: Lewis Hamilton ( 4 times)

Most successful constructor: Mercedes ( 5 wins)

2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

Number of turns: 21 

What are the 2019 World Drivers’ Championship standings?

Lewis Hamilton clinched his sixth F1 World Championship at the USA Grand Prix. The ‘Billion Dollar Man’ has.won ten out of the 20 races in the ongoing World Drivers’ Championship. The British driver has 387 points to his name and is currently leading the points table with a lead of 73 points. 

Mercedes is ruling the standings once again as Valtteri Bottas is in the second position with 314 points, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari is in the third position with 249 points.

Prediction for the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?

Mercedes have dominated the Yas Marina circuit since the introduction of new regulations in 2014 with five consecutive victories. With Hamilton securing his tenth podium in Abu Dhabi, we can’t look past him for the chequered flag.

The battle for the third spot in the driver’s standings is on as Max Verstappen leads Charles Leclerc by a meager 11 points. A strong showing by any of these two will seal the deal in the season end race.

Max Verstappen and Red Bull have been in blistering form of late. The Brazilian Grand Prix winner will start from the front grid and is surely one of the favourites for the win.

Sunday’s race will be Nico Hulkenberg’s last race with Renault and possibly his last in the formula one. The German driver has not had a podium finish in nearly a decade old career. He would want to end his career on a high by upstaging this embarrassing record.

Two Ferrari’s of Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel will like to leave the bad blood behind as they look to end the season on a high. Whomsoever finishes on top may well have the bragging rights over the other at the start of next season.

Max Verstappen is coming in hot and with the recent struggles of Mercedes, he may overtake Hamilton for his second victory in a row. Although, Yas Marina is a happy hunting ground for Mercedes and with Hamilton starting up front, we may as well have a sixth consecutive victory for Mercedes in Abu Dhabi.