'Dream scenario' amid tension on track

ABU DHABI • After 21 races, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen head into Formula One's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix tomorrow facing a winner-takes-all showdown.

"It is a dream scenario," said McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo. "It's really what this sport needs, it's what you hope for every year, a battle like this.

"You have the veteran with the most records in Lewis on one hand, and then you have the youngest race winner on the other.

"They're going toe to toe and it's a really cool battle, a great story. Some envy not being a part of it, but ultimately for the sport, and as a fan of the sport, it's a dream scenario."

Mercedes' Hamilton is chasing a record-breaking eighth title, Verstappen of Red Bull his first.

"It's definitely an incredibly intense year and time," the Briton said. "I've raced for 28 years. I've had so many intense battles through karting, through single-seaters, and this is one of them.

"Of course, this is the pinnacle of the sport, so everything's heightened, everything's at the absolute max and so much weighs on it, but it's great for the sport, it's great for the fans. They're enjoying it more than ever, and I'm enjoying it as a racing driver."

There is tension between the pair on the track, and they have had a number of incidents, including crashes in the British and Italian Grands Prix and a collision at the penultimate Saudi Arabian GP.

After leading by 19 points following his triumph in Mexico, Verstappen's advantage has been erased with three successive victories for Hamilton. "Basically, we start again like we started the season," the Dutchman said.

Despite the run of defeats by Hamilton, Red Bull boss Christian Horner said there was no problem raising the morale of Verstappen or his team.

"At the beginning of the year, if you'd given us this chance, this one shot to win this world championship at the last race in Abu Dhabi after 21 races of intense battle with Mercedes, we would have all, as a team, bitten your arm off for that," he said.

His confidence showed as Verstappen was quickest out of the blocks in Abu Dhabi yesterday, planting his Red Bull at the top of the first practice timesheets in 1min 25.009sec.

Hamilton, 36, was third fastest, 0.346sec shy of his arch-rival, and splitting the pair was outgoing Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas, coming in at 0.196sec slower.

But Hamilton fired back in the afternoon, lapping the revised 5.2km Yas Marina track in 1:23.691, the only driver to drop below 1:24 with his 24-year-old rival fourth, 0.641 of a second back and behind Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Bottas.

The drivers' championship is not the only thing on the line tomorrow. Mercedes lead the constructors' championship, which they have won seven successive times, and are 28 points ahead of Red Bull.

One of the reasons for the close fights between the drivers and teams has been the success of the budget cap. In the past, teams had no limit on the amount of money they could spend. This season, they have been capped at US$145 million (S$198 million).

"This is the first year we've applied the cost cap, and Mercedes and Red Bull have been unable to turn the dial up to 11," said Ross Brawn, F1's managing director. "They're not allowed to.

"That's meant the championship has stayed close... We've not had one team running away with it because they've been able to throw massive resources at any issue."

This has led to "a battle for the ages" between Hamilton and Verstappen, according to Brawn.

History beckons for both.

Following his three resurgent victories, Hamilton, who has won here five times since 2011, has the momentum, but Verstappen easily triumphed last year in Abu Dhabi and has enough vim to believe he can do it again.

On a weekend of farewells - to Honda as engine supplier for Red Bull, to Bottas, who will link up with Alfa Romeo next season with William's George Russell his replacement at the Silver Arrows and to Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 champion who starts his record 349th GP, there is only one certainty.

Tension and drama will be in plentiful supply before a champion can be crowned.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS, NYTIMES