To win his first crown in the category, the Dutchman must take his points difference in the standings from 8 to 26 against Briton Lewis Hamilton.
Penultimate test of the Mundial and first option to be champion for Max Verstappen. The probability is not very high, but the Red Bull Dutchman could write his name in the Formula 1 record in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, this weekend.
To win your first title in the premier class of motorsport, Verstappen must take his difference from 8 to 26 of points with the British Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes).
This implies that the 24-year-old finish first or second (what is within his reach) and that his rival ends up far from the first places, which is less likely.
On paper, the Yedá Corniche circuit, which Formula 1 visits for the first time, is favorable to Mercedes.
Have 27 curves over 6,174 kilometers, but most are not very pronounced. The expected average speed is 252 kilometers / hour, with a peak of 322 km / h, which makes it the fastest of the urban circuits.
‘The error is not allowed’
“It is very fast, but not straight, which gives it a specificity ”, he pointed out to the AFP its designer, Carsten Tilke. “Even if we can accelerate fully, it is still difficult, you have to concentrate on each lap and the walls are very close, so the error is not allowed,” he added.
Under these conditions, the top speed of the Silver Arrows seems an advantage. Hamilton will once again be equipped with the engine that allowed him to overcome 25 places in two races (qualifying sprint and grand prize) to win in Brazil in mid-November.
The Britain must win to have a better chance of achieving his eighth world crown in the last test, in Abu Dhabi, which would make him the rider with the most titles in history, ahead of the German Michael Schumacher.
“I feel calm, I know that I have always given the maximum and we will see the result. We have not done anything, we are prepared for this challenge ”, Verstappen said.
“The race for titles is open and our mission is clear. The car is running well lately, it hadn’t been so good this season and the drivers are confident to push it to the limit, ”Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said.
If the Austrian speaks of titles in the plural it is because Mercedes and Red Bull also have a battle in the constructors, with five points of advantage for the German team.
Wash your image
The penultimate race of the season is scheduled on Sunday night local (12:30 from Ecuador). It will be the latest start of the season, with the aim of allowing time for the temperatures, which during the day exceed 30 degrees, to drop a bit.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the maximum viewers will be 40,000, 8,000 from abroad.
The track condition, newly built, is a interrogation point.
Welcoming Formula 1, after Formula E, the Dakar rally, boxing matches, golf matches and important football events, Saudi Arabia continues its campaign to improve its international image.
Its many detractors accuse the country of “washing” its image, using major sporting events to make people forget their attacks on human rights. (D)
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