Just six points separate Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in this year's thrilling Formula 1 title fight, which could go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi.
Verstappen is targeting his first title whilst Hamilton is looking to make more history by winning an unprecedented eighth World Championship.
F1's points regulations have undergone some small changes in recent years, meaning a possible 159 points can be scored in the final six rounds.
In addition to the 25 points for a win, drivers can also score an extra point if they post the fastest lap and finish inside the top 10 in the race.
This year's event in Brazil will see the third and final Sprint format, so three points will be awarded to the pole-sitter at the end of the 100km Sprint Qualifying race at Interlagos.
Hamilton is yet to cross the finish line first in the two Sprint Qualifying races so far, after Verstappen came out on top at Silverstone and Valtteri Bottas became the 'Sprint King' at Monza.
Points still to play for in 2021
Event | Victory points | Fastest lap points | Sprint points |
---|---|---|---|
United States GP | 25 | 1 | X |
Mexican GP | 25 | 1 | X |
Sao Paulo GP | 25 | 1 | 3 |
Qatar GP | 25 | 1 | X |
Saudi Arabian GP | 25 | 1 | X |
Abu Dhabi GP | 25 | 1 | X |
As the season approaches its climax, every point will feel more important and the championship could be decided by less than a handful of points.
Should Hamilton and Verstappen tie on points at the end of the season, the title will be decided on who has the most wins.
At the moment, that would be Verstappen, who has been victorious seven times compared to Hamilton on five occasions. If they are level on wins, it will come down to the number of second places.
If the championship protagonists have the same number of second places, it will come down to the most number of third places and so on until there is a difference.
Formula 1 standings 2021
Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
|
Red Bull Racing | 395.5 |
2 |
|
Mercedes AMG Motorsport | 387.5 |
3 |
|
Mercedes AMG Motorsport | 226 |
4 |
|
Red Bull Racing | 190 |
5 |
|
Scuderia Ferrari | 164.5 |
6 |
|
McLaren Racing | 160 |
7 |
|
Scuderia Ferrari | 159 |
8 |
|
McLaren Racing | 115 |
9 |
|
Scuderia Alpha Tauri | 110 |
10 |
|
Alpine F1 | 81 |
11 |
|
Alpine F1 | 74 |
12 |
|
Aston Martin F1 Team | 43 |
13 |
|
Aston Martin F1 Team | 34 |
14 |
|
Scuderia Alpha Tauri | 32 |
15 |
|
Williams Racing | 16 |
16 |
|
Alfa Romeo Racing | 10 |
17 |
|
Williams Racing | 7 |
18 |
|
Alfa Romeo Racing | 3 |
19 |
|
Haas F1 | 0 |
21 |
|
Haas F1 | 0 |
Pos. | Team | Drivers | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
|
Hamilton & Bottas | 613.5 |
2 |
|
Verstappen & Pérez | 585.5 |
3 |
|
Leclerc & Sainz | 323.5 |
4 |
|
Ricciardo & Norris | 275 |
5 |
|
Ocon & Alonso | 155 |
6 |
|
Gasly & Tsunoda | 142 |
7 |
|
Vettel & Stroll | 77 |
8 |
|
Latifi & Russell | 23 |
9 |
|
Räikkönen & Giovinazzi | 13 |
10 |
|
Mazepin & Schumacher | 0 |
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