The intense season-long battle is predicted to go the Dutchman’s way by Codemasters’ official game
Codemasters and Electronic Arts (EA) announced this week that their official F1 game has predicted that Max Verstappen will win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix today to take the World Championship against season-long rival Lewis Hamilton. The one-off simulated race using F1 2021 produced another masterclass in the art of driving, with the Dutch superstar coming out on top.
After taking pole position in qualifying, Codemasters reported that Max got off to the perfect start under the Abu Dhabi lights on Sunday, establishing a solid lead within the first few laps. Leaving everything on the track, Hamilton pushed all the way, but with few opportunities to overtake, saw the hopes of his record-breaking eighth World Championship fade. Mercedes had some consolation as the team secured an eighth-consecutive Constructors title.
According to the F1 2021 simulation, Sergio Perez finished third, earning his sixth podium of the season. There were also top 10 places for Valtteri Bottas, who leaves Mercedes after this weekend, and the two drivers from Ferrari, securing third for the team in the Constructor standings. Fan-favourite Kimi Räikkönen, in his final Formula 1 race, came in 10th to secure one last point for himself and Alfa Romeo.
The actual race today will be shown live on both Sky F1 and Channel 4 (using Sky’s feed) and will be the culmination of one of the most exciting and intense F1 rivalries in decades, with both drivers heading into the final race on equal points (369.5).
One significant change from the Codemasters simulation which could be a factor is the alterations made to the actual Abu Dhabi circuit as two chicanes have been removed as well as the turns 11-14 section, in place of a single, medium speed curve. These won’t have been updated for the Codemasters’ game and may shift the balance as the Mercedes car tends to dominate in straight-line speed. Tyre choice also seems to differ as the Red Bull driver will be on the soft tyers having used them in the second Qualifying session, while Hamilton will be on the slower and more durable mediums.
“Max and Lewis have provided some of the most dramatic racing ever witnessed in Formula 1. We couldn’t have wished for a better end to the season, and now it comes down to one final showdown for the title,” said Paul Jeal, F1 Senior Franchise Director at Codemasters. “F1 2021 allows players to compete as their racing heroes, and we encourage everyone to share their Abu Dhabi race highlights with our social channels before lights-out this Sunday.”
To celebrate The Game Awards, which saw F1 2021 nominated in the Best Sports/Racing category but beaten by Forza Horison 5, players can enjoy the game at a special price until tomorrow (December 13th). It boasts several new features over last year’s title, including the thrilling new story mode, ‘Braking Point’, an expanded Career mode enabling two players to come together and race, and Real-Season Start with the option to jump into the championship at any point that has already occurred, adopting the real-time driver and constructor standings.
For more F1 2021 news, follow Formula 1 game website.
