F1 Talk: Hamilton back in for season-ending Abu Dhabi GP

Seven-times Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton has got the all-clear to compete in the 2020 season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton, 35 will return to the F1 paddock tomorrow for the first time after he tested positive for coronavirus on 30 November and had to self-isolate for ten days. He tested negative at the end of his self-isolation period and then flew out to Abu Dhabi yesterday and has been self-isolating in his hotel room before he returns to the track tomorrow.

It is expected that he will take part in both both practice sessions tomorrow before qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.

The Briton has won eleven Grand Prix this season and will be hoping to wrap this year up with a twelfth victory despite the shortened calendar. But as he has been stuck indoors since last Monday, it is unclear what physical state Hamilton will be in this weekend.

This could be an opportunity for his team-mate Valtteri Bottas. After looking like the second driver in last weekend’s Sakhir GP to George Russell, Bottas needs to beat Hamilton this weekend if he is to have any chance of keeping his stock high over the winter. While the Finn has a contract with Mercedes for 2021, a poor performance here added to his run of bad form could be enough for him to be replaced by Russell over the winter.

It is the same story down at Red Bull as Alex Albon continues to have the pressure piled on him following last weekend’s Sakhir GP. While both Mercedes were shuffled down the pack plus the elimination of his team-mate and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Albon was never in a position to benefit from the evolving madness. In fact, it was Sergio Perez who ended up victorious despite being involved in a first lap incident with Leclerc.

Perez does not have a drive at the moment and while the noises coming out of Red Bull seem to suggest that Albon will be retained, the Mexican is in the form of his life right now and another performance like that would make the Milton Keynes-based squad question that choice.

The battle for third in the constructors championship reaches its climax this weekend. Racing Point head to Abu Dhabi in the strongest position after that double podium finish in the last race. They are currently 10 points ahead of McLaren, who are themselves a further 12 points clear of Renault. But after three different leaders in the last three races, it is still all to play for.

Perez is in the form of his life with a Grand Prix win from being last at the end of the first lap. The Mexican was also on course for a podium the previous week until his engine exploded and is on course to finish fourth in the points despite missing both Silverstone races back in August due to testing positive for COVID-19. As for Lance Stroll, the Canadian put in another solid performance and will be there if the car is up to the job this weekend.

McLaren will be saying an emotional goodbye to Carlos Sainz Jr who is off to Ferrari next season. But the British outfit will want to end the year on a high and despite insisting they are the underdogs coming into the weekend, they have been the most consistent driving pairing bar Mercedes with Sainz seventh and Norris ninth and just ten points between them.

Renault had a good race result in Sakhir as Esteban Ocon became the thirteenth different podium finisher this season while Daniel Ricciardo came home fifth. But with 22 points to Racing Point and 12 to McLaren, another messy race would have to prevail for Renault to have a realistic shot at third. Ricciardo heads off to Renault after this race and will be looking to give his employer a parting gift. Meanwhile, their 2021 driver Fernando Alonso will be showing off the 2005 Renault F1 car (R25) as the last weekend before the Enstone-based team changes its name to Alpine.

Ferrari will be looking forward to Sunday evening as it will be the last time they have to face the miserable music in 2020. The Scuderia has had one of its worst seasons ever and will end the season without a victory unless something spectacular happens under the lights. Charles Leclerc has shown his mustard and is sixth in the standings despite the car’s pace while his team-mate Sebastian Vettel will be grateful that he is heading over to Aston Martin (now Racing Point) for 2021. The Scuderia will welcome impressive Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr as they aim to rebuild the team into the new generation.

Alpha Tauri had a relatively underwhelming Sakhir GP by their lofty standards with Daniil Kvyat finishing seventh and Pierre Gasly only coming home in eleventh position. But this team will once again seek to challenge the status quo in 2020. They are too far back to challenge Ferrari in the championship but will aim to end the year with points. The Italian squad will be testing the Japanese duo of Yuki Tsunoda and Marino Sato at next week’s young drivers’ test. An announcement awaits as to who will join Gasly for 2021.

Alfa Romeo have had a solid season with eight points and will be hoping that they can hold onto eighth in the constructors championship after a rather subdued season. Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi are well-matched in both qualifying and the race and will be looking to carry some positive momentum into next season.

Haas have had a very difficult 2020 with the financial cost of the pandemic, a lack of on-track results and Romain Grosjean’s terrifying accident. But now the troubles for 2021 seem to have already been revealed following Nikita Mazepin’s inappropriate social media post. Mazepin and Haas have both apologised and will be dealt with behind closed doors, but it is clearly unhelpful for a guy who has already been labelled as a so-called ‘pay-driver.’ In better news, Mick Schumacher will drive a F1 car in free practice for the first time. After he secured the Formula 2 title in Bahrain, Schumacher will take over Kevin Magnussen’s car for Free Practice One. Pietro Fittipaldi will drive the car in place of the recovering Grosjean once again.

Down at Williams, they will be happy to have George Russell back in the car. The team have improved their performance throughout the season and now seem to be more competitive than Haas and possibly even Alfa Romeo on pure performance. The team will be hoping that there is an opportunity to score points and with Russell brimming with knowledge fresh from Mercedes, what can they achieve this weekend?

As the F1 circus prepares for the winter break, Hamilton will be back in the car at Mercedes while Russell will return to Williams. While on paper there seems to be nothing left to fight for, that could not be further from the truth. The battle between Racing Point, McLaren and Renault is as hot as ever and after a dismal showing against Russell last weekend, can Bottas show his pedigree and beat Hamilton on the world champion’s return?