Thanks to Bernie Ecclestone’s much maligned double points system, this weekend’s final race of the season in Abu Dhabi will decide the drivers’ championship.
One of Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will take home the 2014 title but there are a whole host of talking points all over the track that go beyond the headline makers vying for glory.
Ahead of the race, crash.net‘s Formula One editor, Chris Medland, looks at five storylines worth keeping an eye on when the action gets underway at Yas Marina.
1. Mercedes’ reliability
Ever since the FIA announced the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix would be worth double points, much of the focus has been on how that could impact the drivers’ championship. With Mercedes looking so dominant the idea behind it was to try and ensure the title went down to the wire, but ultimately that was going to be the case between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg regardless. 17 points separate the two Mercedes drivers, and their pace advantage means a smooth weekend will see a one-two finish.
Second place will be enough for Hamilton, so the most likely issue that could deny him a second drivers’ title is reliability. While Mercedes has had by far the quickest car this season, it has not had the most reliable and Hamilton has retired in both Australia and Canada. The brakes are one area which often causes Mercedes trouble – Rosberg has suffered with them too – and in a fight between team-mates it could be the deciding factor.
2. Caterham
The United States and Brazilian rounds of 2014 saw a smaller grid than the rest of the year as both Marussia and Caterham entered administration and missed the races, the former soon closing its doors as a buyer could not be found. However, the administrators at Caterham continued to keep the team alive and launched a crowdfunding initiative aimed at raising £2.35m in a week to allow the team to head to Abu Dhabi.
The logic behind the move is founded on the team’s F1 entry. If Caterham had missed the final race too, it would have been in breach of regulations and its entry would have been set to revert back to the governing body. By successfully raising enough money to race this weekend, Caterham protects its entry, making it a much more attractive proposition for a prospective buyer ahead of the 2015 season.
While negotiations continue to take place to try and save the team, Abu Dhabi is all about showcasing that it has a future while also raising as much financial support as possible. As a result there’s at least one new face as Marcus Ericsson has severed all ties with the team and Andre Lotterer turned down a return. Expect to see some unusual sponsors on the cars as they make their return to the track.
3. GP3’s champion
The GP2 championship was won by Jolyon Palmer at the last round in Sochi, but the GP3 title is still to be mathematically decided. Alex Lynn should wrap it up this weekend having come close to doing so in Russia, and the manner of his victory could be significant. As last year, despite GP2 labelling itself the ‘feeder series’ it looks like the GP3 champion could have the best chance of stepping up to F1, with Lynn a Red Bull young driver.
Twelve months ago it was Daniil Kvyat who was emphatically securing the championship ahead of a promotion to Toro Rosso. Since then, Kvyat has excelled in his rookie season and in October he was selected by Red Bull to replace the Ferrari-bound Sebastian Vettel, thus opening up another seat at Toro Rosso. Jean-Eric Vergne remains favourite to retain his seat – having originally been dropped – alongside 17-year-old Max Verstappen, but if Lynn takes the title in style he could still earn himself a place on the 2015 grid.
4. Williams
While reliability is the biggest threat to a Mercedes one-two on Sunday, the greatest challenge outside of the team’s control will be posed by Williams. Quick from the outset but often failing to maximise its potential this season, Williams has become more consistent as the year has gone on and emerged the second fastest team, despite Red Bull having three race wins to their name so far.
In Russia and Brazil Williams showed the raw pace to challenge for pole position, with both Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas failing to complete their final qualifying attempts at Interlagos. However, when the pressure is on mistakes can be made and the two Williams drivers will hope to be in position to pounce. The last thing either Mercedes driver needs as they focus on their championship battle is another team in the mix with little to lose, but with Williams now 44 points clear of Ferrari in the fight for third in the constructors’ championship Massa and Bottas will be looking to make Hamilton and Rosberg’s weekends a little less straightforward.
5. Jenson Button
The most experienced driver on the grid could be set for his last Formula One race at Yas Marina on Sunday, with McLaren poised to sign Fernando Alonso and a decision over his team-mate yet to be made. While Button still has a chance of retaining his seat – with his experience a major advantage when it comes to developing the new Honda power unit that the team will run next year – he’s grown tired of the lack of commitment from McLaren and could take up an offer to race in sportscars that is already on the table.
If it were to be Button’s last grand prix after 15 seasons in the sport, it would see F1 lose one of the five world champions from the current grid. While the last two seasons with McLaren have been tough, Button has beaten all three of his team-mates since joining after his title-winning year at Brawn, even outscoring Hamilton over their three years in the same car. There is little room for sentiment in F1 and as such Button may not get the send-off he deserves should Abu Dhabi prove to be his final race, but he’ll be aiming to go out with a bang.
