However, just in time for this season finale, drivers and teams have a revised circuit to contend with - including the removal of a speed-sapping chicane, introduction of a long banked corner and several other profile changes. The Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi has been on the F1 calendar since 2009 and has gained a reputation for hosting mainly uneventful races on a track where it is difficult to overtake. The last race in Saudi Arabia was a classic - the first at Jeddah's high-speed street circuit, surrounded by walls, which saw several crashes and risky moves as drivers battled for an edge on a layout none of them knew. Will it be a classic race?įor a sport often maligned as predictable, F1 has never been so difficult to call. The Dutchman has nine wins, to Hamilton's eight. The only thing in the back of both drivers' minds is that, if neither finish the race - or accrue any points by finishing outside the top 10 - then Verstappen would win based on victory countback across the season. It's pretty simple: with 25 points for a win, 18 for second and a bonus point for the fastest lap, whoever finishes ahead takes it all. Last-lap drama, collisions and a Hollywood blockbuster - F1's dramatic title deciders.

Or, 24-year-old hotshot Verstappen will win his first title to usher in a new era, in which he leads the current crop of younger drivers. Whatever unfolds, history will be made - either 36-year-old Hamilton will claim his eighth world title and become the sport's most successful driver ever by surpassing Michael Schumacher.

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