Formula 1: How Lewis Hamilton can beat Max Verstappen but still lose

Even if Lewis Hamilton scores, there is one way that Max Verstappen can finish behind him and still win the 2021 Formula 1 world championship.

For the first time since 2016, the Formula 1 world championship battle is set to come down to the season finale this Sunday in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit.

Not only that, but the two title rivals, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, are tied atop the driver standings heading into the 2021 season’s 22nd and final race.

They are tied at 369.5 points; not since the 1974 season, when Emerson Fittipaldi and Clay Regazzoni were tied at 52 points heading into the 15th and final race on the schedule, have the two title rivals been tied atop the standings heading into the last race of the year.

Verstappen is classified as the leader because of the tiebreaker. He has won nine races while Hamilton has won eight.

Naturally, Hamilton would win the championship by winning the season finale, the only scenario in which he can tie Verstappen at nine wins.

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So it goes without saying that, in any scenario that results in both drivers finishing outside of the top 10, irrespective of who finishes ahead, Verstappen would win the world championship on the tiebreaker as neither driver would score (even a fastest lap does not count for a driver outside the top 10). 

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But there is one scenario in which Hamilton and Verstappen could both finish in the points, with Hamilton ahead of Verstappen, and Verstappen could still win the world championship.

Here’s how that could happen.

If Hamilton finishes in ninth place, he would score two points, bringing him to 371.5 points on the year.

If Verstappen finishes just behind him in 10th place, he would score one point. If he also happens to record the fastest lap with a 10th place finish, he would score an additional point, bringing him to 371.5 points on the year.

In this scenario, the two would tie, and Verstappen would be crowned world champion despite finishing behind his rival after entering the race level on points.

Is this scenario likely? We all know the answer to that. But we’ve seen stranger things happen this year.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is set to be broadcast live on ESPN2 from Yas Marina Circuit beginning at 7:55 a.m. ET this Sunday, December 12. Start your free trial of FuboTV now and don’t miss any of the action!