Lewis Hamilton in the form of his life ahead of title showdown, Nico Rosberg's huge test, a familiar story at Ferrari, and...
Monday 28 November 2016 11:16, UK
Hamilton v Rosberg: The final battle
No one was ever going to stop him, were they? Throughout qualifying, this was a wheel-perfect performance from Lewis Hamilton as he comfortably kept Nico Rosberg at bay in the Yas Marina pressure cooker. His improvement throughout the hour-long session eventually resulted in the second quickest time ever recorded around this circuit and his dominance was no surprise. This was a lap of 1:38.123 from a driver who, looking at the past three races at least, is in the form of his life.
Hamilton bullish on title hopes
"It was a real statement from intent from Lewis," claimed Sky F1's Damon Hill. "You're seeing the very best from one of the very best drivers of all time." One of Formula 1's greatest ever then, according to the champ, and 12 poles in a single campaign is more than he has ever managed before. Yet still, considering both Mercedes' clear pace advantage and Rosberg's remarkable consistency, the Brit needs a near miracle if he is going to become a four-time champion under the Abu Dhabi lights.
Reliability worries or not, if Hamilton had even eked out 80 per cent of this potential over the majority of the campaign, he would surely be in a stronger position here. In this mood, he's unbeatable.
"It just wasn't possible for me to do that time today," a dejected Rosberg conceded. Given that contact with another car is probably the biggest risk in his quest for a maiden title, pole was just as important for Nico as it was for Lewis and the German now must walk the plank down to Turn One with an eagle eye on both mirrors. The charging Red Bulls and Ferraris might just give Rosberg a sleepless night.
Whether he would be a deserved champion or not has been a talking point up and down the paddock as Formula 1 prepared for it's season climax - but that's subjective. There are, however, other questions that Rosberg could answer in a matter of hours, such as how mentally strong he really is and if he can handle the mounting pressure. Whether he truly battles Hamilton on-track in a bid to wrap up the title in style, meanwhile, a scenario we haven't seen all year, could also shape his legacy in the sport.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff told reporters that his drivers' relationship is like a volcano ready to erupt while Hamilton has been toying with his team-mate both on and off the track, his most recent body shot being that he would be the "moral champion" of 2016. But the talking is nearly over, and it's almost time for two drivers to settle it on the track, once and for all in a chaotic campaign.
Get ready for the Duel in the Desert.
A familiar story for Ferrari
The one qualifying head-to-head that hadn't been settled ahead of the season-ending shootout was at Ferrari, with Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel locked at 10 intra-team Saturday victories apiece. Considering one was heralded as a possible champion at the start of the year while another was tipped for retirement as late as July, this was one of the more surprising competitive rivalries on the grid.
But all credit must go to the Finn, who not only won that particular battle here, but out-paced a lacklustre Vettel throughout the Abu Dhabi qualifying session. While Felipe Massa and Jenson Button prepare for their time out of the sport, Raikkonen, now 37, has improved as the season has gone on and is one driver who could flourish in next season's higher-downforce machines.
However, while all F1 fans will be thrilled by Kimi's revival, this has been a year of significant underachievement for the Scuderia and despite improvements this weekend, qualifying won't have lifted spirits too much. Their one-lap advantage over Red Bull appeared dead-set before Q3 but Daniel Ricciardo still managed to steal third place at the death. Not only are Ferrari without a front-row start all season, but finishing fourth and fifth at a track where cooler conditions were supposed to suit their package, and where a four-time world champion was supposed to be a master, isn't good enough.
Vettel's form has been frequently questioned and criticised but perhaps what is most damning is that the German has actually topped the Practice Three timesheets on as many occasions as both Mercedes drivers. But while Hamilton has 12 poles, Rosberg with nine, Vettel and Ferrari have never been close.
Rumours of a cancelled Christmas party won't do much for morale either, and it's safe to say this has been a year to forget for anyone connected to Ferrari.
The stats that matter
They say the most important aspect of Formula 1 is to beat your team-mate. So how about a look at the head-to-head qualifying stats as we round off the season?
