Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen is on the verge of achieving something big as the F1 calendar shifts to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit for the first-ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. With the lead that he has right now, Verstappen can clinch this season’s drivers’ title if things go his way this Monday.
Meanwhile, there are more battles to be finalised since it’s not just Red Bull and Mercedes who are sorting out their positions in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championship.
Ferrari are within arm’s reach to securing P3 over McLaren, while the midfield tussle between Alpine and AlphaTauri is getting interesting.
There’s two more races left for 2021 and we’re about to reach the climax, so read on below as SBOTOP serves you with the latest Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2021 updates.
Gripping final chapter awaits Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton
There are couple of scenarios that play into Max Verstappen’s favour since he is the current leader and he can claim his first-ever world championship in as early as this race.
As far as Jeddah is concerned, all Verstappen needs in order to clinch the title is a top-two finish and a bad performance or a DNF from Hamilton.
Expect a dogfight between these two since they have exchanged wins in these past few races. Max Verstappen looked like he was about to bring home the title when he won in Austin and in Mexico, but Lewis Hamilton quickly replied with back-to-back victories in Brazil and in Qatar.
Momentum is on the side of Mercedes and team principal Toto Wolff is optimistic on their chances following their recent outings, saying that the W12 car is “performing better than it has been all season”.
There is pressure for both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton heading into this contest. However, both insisted that they aren’t feeling too much pressure heading into Monday.
“I’m more relaxed than I’ve ever been. I know I can’t change anything from the past but all I can do is prepare as best as I can for what’s ahead of me, and I 100% know I have,” said Lewis Hamilton.
“Fighting against Lewis in general has been good for the sport. And for me at the end of the day it doesn’t matter if you’re fighting against someone who’s my age or a world champion, you know both are great drivers,” added Max Verstappen.
Ferrari closing in on third ahead of McLaren
Ferrari can take P3 in the constructors’ championship this weekend if they’ll outscore McLaren by at least five points, although it will be easier said than done.
Carlos Sainz Jr. acknowledges this since they are well-aware of the danger McLaren poses as Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo have had superb campaigns this term.
“We need to remind ourselves that McLaren have been in the fight in every race that we’ve outscored them. I feel like here they might have the faster car and they’ll bring the fight down to Abu Dhabi, probably,” said Sainz Jr.
Jeddah favours high-speed cars with its long straights, which isn’t exactly one of the SF90’s strengths. But since this is the first time that everyone will get to try this track, Charles Leclerc bared that he’ll use a wait-and-see approach in these next few days.
“On paper it looks like it’s not going to be one of our best tracks because of its very long straights and a very high-speed track. But on the other hand, it’s a city track so anything can happen,” said Leclerc.
History
After several discussions with F1 in recent years, Jeddah has finally been given the green light to host the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend.
The Grand Prix has received criticism from the Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch following the country’s “troubling” human rights track record, to which Lewis Hamilton has pointed out recently.
In response, both F1 and Saudi Arabia denied that the Grand Prix is being used as a form of “sportswashing” as they mentioned that this is their way of openng up the country more to the outside world.
What are the odds?
Lewis Hamilton is the favoured driver in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2021 odds. The British is priced at 1.65 to win, while Max Verstappen is not far behind as he’s pegged at 2.29.
In terms of the constructors’ race, Mercedes drivers are expected to do well since they’re at 1.33 while Red Bull are at 2.88. On the other hand, Ferrari are installed at 1.70 compared to McLaren’s 2.13 for P3.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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