An extraordinary Formula 1 season comes to a close with the traditional finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
Max Verstappen sealed his fourth drivers' world championship in Las Vegas two races ago, but while the battle for the constructors' crown is going down to the wire, the Dutchman's Red Bull team are not in the reckoning.
McLaren lead Ferrari by 21 points in the teams' championship and with the circuit likely to suit the red cars better, it could be a nailbiting night for those with a dog in the fight.
- CHARLES LECLERC TO WIN
- FERRARI TO WIN CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP
- YUKI TSUNODA POINTS FINISH
Monegasque To Master Yas Marina
It has been a strong season for Ferrari and Charles Leclerc is in with a serious shout of pipping Lando Norris to second spot in the drivers' standings.
Leclerc is sometimes guilty of driving errors, such as when he pushed too hard in the early stages in Las Vegas and overworked his tyres.
However, he is considered by many to be the fastest driver in the field over a single lap, and he picked up his 12th podium of the season in Qatar last weekend.
The Ferrari had not been particularly competitive there, but by driving a clean race as chaos unfolded around him, Leclerc reaped his due rewards.
While Qatar is all flowing corners, Abu Dhabi features short, sharp turns and long straights, and that is a combination which has seen Ferrari at their best this season. Leclerc won races in Monaco, Italy and Texas and was just outbattled by Norris's McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri on another similar circuit in Baku.
For all his single-lap pace, Leclerc has often been outperformed in qualifying by his team-mate Carlos Sainz in recent races, but he has compensated for that with some blistering opening laps.
World champion Verstappen has won two of the last three races, but he had a late set-up change to thank for his victory in Qatar last time, having struggled before that, while in Brazil the torrential rain played a huge part in the result.
CHARLES LECLERC TO WIN
Ferrari Could Snatch Team Honours
Ferrari and McLaren are perhaps F1's two most storied teams, but the Scuderia have not won the constructors' championship since 2008 while the Woking-based outfit haven't collected the trophy since 1998.
One of their droughts will end this weekend, and although McLaren enjoy a 21-point advantage, Ferrari could well break their hearts.
Finishing first and second will not be enough for the Italian team if the McLarens follow them home in third and fourth.
However, Verstappen is certainly capable of getting into the mix, while the inconsistent Mercedes cars could also have a say in matters, particularly on this type of circuit.
McLaren's results have failed to match their car's performance on several occasions this season. Norris's last three race results have been sixth, sixth and 10th, and while Piastri salvaged a podium in Qatar, his previous four finishes were fifth, eighth, eighth and seventh.
That kind of result may not be enough to hang on to their advantage in the constructors' championship if repeated in Abu Dhabi.
FERRARI TO WIN CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP
Tsunoda To Add To His Tally
Things didn't go Yuki Tsunoda's way in Qatar, but he has a fine record in Abu Dhabi and can earn a third points finish in four races.
The Japanese racer is hoping to be promoted from RB to the main Red Bull team, and he has done those hopes no harm by outperforming the highly-rated Liam Lawson in the five races they have been team-mates.
Tsunoda was eighth at Yas Marina last year, just missed the points in 11th in 2022, and was a brilliant fourth in 2021.
YUKI TSUNODA POINTS FINISH
