The Formula One 2015 season is about to come to a close, but not before the final race of the year set to take place at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
Technically, this year’s F1 campaign is already settled. Lewis Hamilton was crowned as the 2015 Drivers’ World Champion as early as the United States Grand Prix, and Mercedes F1 Motorsport won the 2015 Constructors’ Champions title at the Russian Grand Prix, the race prior to Hamilton’s coronation.
Nevertheless, all the racers this Sunday will be fighting for personal pride, so we won’t be lacking any high-speed drama at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. As such, let’s take a closer look at the field of drivers below. Then, check out our in-depth preview for Klitschko vs. Fury after this if you’re up for some hard-hitting boxing betting action as well.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]2015 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview
Favorites – Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg
[sc:Other240banner ]Now a three-time champion, Lewis Hamilton could very well just coast through his appearance in Abu Dhabi this weekend. But knowing the Brit’s desire to be the ultimate best, you know that he won’t go down without a fight.
After becoming F1’s 2015 champion in late October, he still managed to finish second in the two races that followed the US Grand Prix and prior to this week’s trip to the Middle East. Furthermore, Hamilton will also be going for his third-career win at Yas Marina, so he definitely has some motivation left in him to further add to his stellar 2015 profile.
On the other hand, fellow Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg is picking up the scraps left by the 2015 champ. The 30-year-old German was the one who actually beat out Hamilton the past two races in Mexico and Brazil.
Furthermore, Rosberg has the most at stake entering this Sunday’s race, as he has yet to win in Abu Dhabi. If getting pole position from 2014’s race at Yas Marina is any indication, Rosberg could very well win his third-consecutive race to close this season, and make a solid case as Mercedes’ next top dog for their 2016 campaign.
Sleepers – Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel is sitting pretty at third place now, but you know that this feisty German is not about to let his season go out on a whimper.
In fact, if there’s one driver that has the credentials at Abu Dhabi, that would be none other than Vettel himself. He’s the current all-time wins racer at Yas Marina with three career victories, and even set the fastest lap record on the course back in 2009.
Meanwhile, his Ferrari running mate – Kimi Raikonnen – certainly doesn’t want to settle for a fifth place finish in the 2015 standings himself. Raikonnen is behind fellow Finn Valtteri Bottas by just a single point for fourth place, so basically he and Bottas will be the two top-ranked drivers left with something worth fighting for.
Plus, Raikonnen has something that few drivers in the field have entering Sunday’s race: a win at Yas Marina (2012). Only he, Hamilton and Vettel have won a race at Yas Marina since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix’s inception back in 2009.
Long Shot – Sergio Perez
25-year-old Sergio Perez is Force India’s best hope at putting the lesser-known manufacturer on the map, and his five-year F1 career is looking bright indeed. He finished 10 of his 18 races this 2015 in the top 10, including a third-place showing at Sochi just this past October for his fifth-career podium finish.
However, with Hamilton and Rosberg hogging up all the accolades, Perez has yet to taste his first ever win in Formula One. And with no finish better than seventh in his past four tries in Abu Dhabi, it might be safer to assume that the Mexican’s first career F1 win won’t come this Sunday just yet.
Writer’s Prediction
Rosberg completes the hat trick to close out 2015 by winning his third-consecutive race.
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