The battle for the Formula 1 title comes down to the final race of the season. Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg go head to head in Abu Dhabi. But which man will come out on top?
This race is being dubbed the Duel in the Desert, with the two rivals going head to head for the biggest prize in the sport. Can Lewis Hamilton make it a hat-trick of titles with his third world championship in a row, or will the German finish top for the first time ever? It’s set to be a tense end to the season, and we’ve picked out some betting tips ahead of the event to help you make some cash from it.
Who Will Win The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
This isn’t just a battle to win one race, it’s a fight to land the Drivers Championship. The aim for both Hamilton and Rosberg this season was to finish top, and they’re both fighting for it ahead of the final weekend. Can the German hold on to top spot, or will Hamilton sneak in to first place in the closing stages of the campaign? It’s sure to be a bitter fight between these two teammates and rivals.
Rosberg’s main aim won’t be to take the win, but to simply finish within the top three. He has a 12-point lead going into the final race, and third is enough for him to guarantee the title. That’s even if Hamilton takes the race victory. For the Brit to complete the turnaround and win the championship, he needs the German to record a finish worse than any of his last eight outings. No wonder the leader is priced at best odds as short as 1/6 with Coral to win the title.
With Rosberg likely to just focus on a podium finish, it’s wide open for Hamilton here. He could finish the season with the most race wins, while Rosberg ends up claiming the Drivers championship. Even though the world champion is priced at short odds, we think he’s worth backing this weekend, as he’s likely to continue his strong end to the season with another race win. Though we aren’t in any rush to back his chances of winning the championship as he still looks short at 7/2 with BetVictor.
Betting Tip – Lewis Hamilton at 8/13 with Bet365
Dark Horses, Each Way Tips and Other Bets
Hamilton is slightly better value to take pole position in this one, with Ladbrokes making him 4/6 to top qualifying. He’s started on pole in four of the last five races, and we aren’t backing against him putting in another assured display in qualification here. He’ll be aiming to send out a message from the very beginning this weekend. That’s why we’re backing him to lead from the start on Sunday.
If you can also see Hamilton taking the race win and topping qualifying, then it’s not too hard to imagine him recording the fastest lap in that time. While completing that hat-trick is incredibly difficult, this is the perfect stage for him to achieve it. We can envisage the experienced Mercedes driver setting the pace early on, so we’re backing him to complete that hat-trick, at nice odds of 10/3 with Sky Bet.
While Hamilton and Rosberg will dominate headlines, Max Verstappen should get a little bit of focus here. He’s been the breakout star this season, and he could be the future of the sport. When you take out the top two, then he’s the next most exciting driver, even if he’s quite controversial. Ahead of this race, we are taking the two Mercedes drivers out of the equation. Verstappen is 13/8 with Ladbrokes on the without Rosberg and Hamilton market. That’s our final tip here, as we see the teenager having a strong finish to the season.