The fight between Red Bull and Mercedes will come to an end over the next two weeks – but the question of who will clinch the title remains to be seen.
Most are suggesting that the epic battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton could go to the very bitter end – and only in the case of Hamilton finishing below sixth, with Verstappen in first with the fastest lap, will Saudi Arabia mark an end to it.
In recent weeks, Max said that if he lands one championship win, he doesn’t really think about what comes after in his career, unlike Lewis who is hungry for his eighth record-breaking title in Formula 1.
As we head to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit for the first time in history, many aspects of the track are unbeknownst to the drivers, who have only experienced the high-speed nature of the circuit through simulation.
While Red Bull remain confident in their ability to win this championship, there may be some cause for concern following comments made by Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff this evening.
The German team boss said that their W12 car is performing better than it has been all season ahead of this weekend when speaking to the official sport’s website.
“The car has been performing well recently and is probably in the best place it has been all season, with the drivers confident to push it to the limit. That’s encouraging for the final races and gives us strong momentum to take forward,” Wolff explained.
“We are all excited to still be in the fight at this stage in the season, it’s a privilege and a testament to our resilience when we see where we stood in the early summer. Both titles are wide open, and our mission is clear,” he added.
“Jeddah is another completely new challenge, an all-new track to get to grips with and a lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to ensure we hit the ground running on Friday, because getting as much information as we can during those initial sessions will be vital,” continued Wolff.
“It’s a fast street circuit with long flat-out sections and several high-speed corners, lined by barriers meaning it’ll be high risk and reward.
“We’re more motivated than ever and we expect to be in the hunt, so we are all looking forward to the debut Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia.”
