The curtain comes down on the record-breaking 2024 season as the Formula 1 roadshow makes the short hop to Abu Dhabi this weekend.
McLaren will be looking to seal the deal in the constructors’ championship, Lewis Hamilton climbs into a Mercedes for the last time before his hotly-anticipated move to Ferrari, while Sergio Perez probably needs to pull off an unlikely win if he’s to save his seat at Red Bull. It promises to be action packed.
Our tipster Alex Harris was on fire last weekend, landing three punts including a 5/1 pick, and has gone through Paddy Power’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix betting with a fine-tooth comb to pick out a few fancies.
F1 Tips
Overall Qualification Winner – Max Verstappen
Winner – Charles Leclerc (E/W)
Points Finish – Yuki Tsunoda
WHEN: Sunday, December 8 – 13:00
WHERE: Yas Marina Circuit
TV: Sky Sports F1
Overall Qualification Winner – Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen won last weekend’s qualifying session in Qatar but started second on the grid because of a harsh penalty that prompted the Dutchman to personally call out Mercedes’ George Russell.
Incredibly, it would have been his first pole position since the Austrian Grand Prix in June, which highlights the drop in Red Bull’s performance throughout the course of the campaign.
The Yas Marina Circuit has been a happy hunting ground for Verstappen in recent years as he has been the Overall Qualification Winner at the last four editions of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The world champion should head into the session in tip-top form after breezing to victory in Qatar and can rubber-stamp his dominance on the pack with a qualifying masterclass.
Winner – Charles Leclerc (E/W)
Charles Leclerc continues to be one of the most consistent drivers on the grid and will hopefully be given a car that can challenge for the drivers’ title next season.
The Monegasque thrives at the Yas Marina Circuit having been the best of the rest behind Verstappen in the last two editions of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The fact the SF-24 looks a more reliable car than Red Bull’s challenger means Leclerc can get closer to the drivers’ champion round here than in previous years.
The Yas Marina Circuit should also suit Ferrari more than last weekend’s Lusail International Circuit at which Leclerc finished second, although that was, admittedly, rather fortunate.
Since I posted these tips, he has been handed a 10-place penalty for taking a new battery pack, but was fastest in FP1 and could still be in the mix if a Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car shakes things up.
Points Finish – Yuki Tsunoda
Visa Cash App RB F1 Team – to give them their full name – have been one of the flops of the season. There was plenty of hype around the team head into the campaign but they look set to finish eighth in the constructors’ championship behind Alpine and Haas.
Yuki Tsunoda has tried his best, however, with points being scored in nine Races and one Sprint and he should finish a respectable 12th in the standings.
We are working with a small sample but Tsunoda has a cracking record in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix having placed fourth in 2021, 11th in 2022 and eighth last year.
He also has the carrot of Red Bull’s second seat likely being available amid speculation Sergio Perez will leave the team – and a Points Finish could earn the Japanese ace a promotion.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Tips
Overall Qualification Winner – Max Verstappen
Winner – Charles Leclerc (E/W)
Points Finish – Yuki Tsunoda
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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