Formula 1: 5 things at stake in the 2021 season finale

There is a lot more than just the world championship battle set to be decided in this Sunday’s Formula 1 season finale at Yas Marina Circuit.

Formula 1 has seen its most exciting title race in years with championship protagonists Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen going neck and neck into the final race of the 2021 calendar.

This year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix promises to be a spectacle for Formula 1 enthusiasts, in contrast to previous few years when the races have proven to be dull and boring with not much at stake for the teams and drivers.

The Formula 1 gods finally answered the prayers of millions worldwide, as Yas Marina Circuit has been revamped, injecting excitement and providing more overtaking opportunities for the drivers.

Unlike the last few seasons, there’s a lot at stake in the driver and constructor championships heading into the season finale.

Here are five things at stake this weekend.

5. P5 in constructor championship: Alpine vs. AlphaTauri

After the Brazilian Grand Prix, Alpine were tied on points with AlphaTauri with 112. In the past two races, the French team have outclassed and outscored the Red Bull sister team. Alpine have 149 points on board compared to AlphaTauri’s 120, making them the favorites to clinch P5.

29 points is a gap too big to cover for any team that is not in the top two or top three. Alpine’s strong performance in the last two races is likely to propel them to P5. Fernando Alonso’s podium in Qatar and Esteban Ocon’s almost podium in Saudi Arabia paved the way for Alpine.

On the other hand, Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda may wonder what could have been if some races had gone their way.