Courtesy: Formula One
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marks the end of what has been a truly fascinating, closely fought and ultimately, Max Verstappen, and hence, Red Bull-dominated season.
The 2024 World Champion will once again fancy his chances, which albeit seem all that hard this time around as little could his Milton Keynes-based machine do in front of the menacing pace of the McLarens.
On the other hand, the season finale is expected to see an emotional turn of events with Sainz delivering his final race, where it stands as of now, with the legendary Maranello-based outfit as the king Lewis Hamilton will be ready to push, albeit one last time for his iconic Mercedes team.
The likes of Bottas and Guanyu as well as Magnussen and Hulkenberg too, will find the contest at Yas Marina an emotionally overwhelming one, the dynamic duos contesting with their respective F1 outfits for one final time in their careers.
But while Nico emerged with a herculean effort with his P4 for Haas, what can be done by the others on race-day? What shall we expect?
Don't worry; for with Stake, we've got that covered for you at SportsTiger. Here are the top predictions for the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP:
Max Verstappen will still be in contention for strong podium finish
He might have won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when F1 came to race at the Yas Marina last year, but this time around, Max Verstappen, champion of the world, will find it hard to win the night racing fiesta. Having said that, making his matters a little more difficult to stand on the top step of the podium, Max Verstappen found only himself to blame.
The flying Dutchman found just a soft P5 in the end and thus, placed himself just ahead of the likes of Russell and Gasly.
But come race day, and Max Verstappen will channelise the inner lion and put together an attacking lap to finish inside the top three. It is likely that he will claim a third and find a way to put pressure early onto the likes of Hulkenberg and Sainz.
Leclerc will produce a startling effort
Charles Leclerc had to finish strongly in qualifying and later, in the Grand Prix to enable Ferrari to establish a stronghold in the Constructor's battle with Red Bull with top sitting McLaren (640 points).
However, his chances of doing just that received a big blow as Ferrari in having to put a new battery to the Monegasque's SF 24 now see their leading driver reprimanded with a resultant 10-place grid penalty.
On race day, Leclerc, who begins on fourteenth will find himself with an astonishingly hard task to beat his tean's closest rivals on the Constructor's standings. He is himself third on the Drivers' standings and still with a few more points to gain or lose depending on how he performs at Abu Dhabi.
But we predict that despite a really sedate looking and harrowingly low twentieth to his name on the grid, the young driver, who has claimed three wins this year, will jump several places up and deliver a cracker of a race.
Don't be surprised if he claims a fighting finish inside the top ten.
Lewis with a race to forget with Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton's qualifying session at Abu Dhabi received a major jolt of sorts when he found himself with an unusual bollard situation. A final scruffy run in Q1 meant that Hamilton, who's won six world championships (and seven overall) with Mercedes, the Woking-based outfit, begins his last-ever race with the team from P18.
On race day, his troubles may be exacerbated by the fact that others ahead of him will get off to a flier and with pressure mounting on account of the 2024 Abu Dhabi contest being his final one with his Toto Wolff-based side, Hamilton will likely err under pressure.
He will be away from scoring considerable points and any signs of recovery to a tenth or thereabouts will likely be a task well done.
McLaren will take the win
Both McLaren drivers were delivering menacing pace in the final qualifying run on Saturday, and importantly, in the session that really mattered. On race day, Norris, who's been the best driver of the season on many occasions, shall begin his Abu Dhabi run from first on the grid. Followed closely by Piastri, McLaren will get off to an ace.
They'll find little pressure from the battling Ferrari of Carlos Sainz who will try his level best to put early pressure moments from the start. But it'll be rather unlikely to see Ferrari, led by Sainz taking off and capturing the better position in the pointed end of the grid.
So, in all likelihood, the British outfit will ace the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and put their mark as the best team out there where it comes to the Constructors' standings.
