F1 Abu Dhabi GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & FP2

Away from the title battle, it's the last grand prix this weekend for Alfa Romeo pair Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen - the former squeezed out, the latter taking his retirement 20 years after his F1 debut. This will be the 2007 world champion's record-extending 349th and final start - although Fernando Alonso isn't far behind him with 332 starts to date. He should eclipse the Finn's record in 2022.

A revised hairpin on to the back straight, a new banked Turn 9 and tweaks at the hotel complex means the track this year has three key differences that Mercedes expects to yield a 10-second reduction in laptimes this year. Here's the full story on what to expect from the track: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/why-abu-dhabis-f1-track-changes-are-about-more-than-just-overtaking/6866445/

A look at the form guide for recent years is perhaps less relevant than usual at the Yas Marina circuit. Firstly because, Mercedes alleges, Red Bull's win last year was aided by it being distracted by testing development tyres at the 2020 finale (when the Black Arrows had already wrapped up both titles) and Hamilton was in his first race back after his COVID-enforced absence from the Sakhir GP. Secondly, the track this year has some key changes...

With the points all square, whoever finishes ahead this weekend will claim the world championship - either Verstappen with his first, or Hamilton with a record-breaking eighth that would eclipse Michael Schumacher's tally. But if neither score this weekend, Verstappen would win on countback of wins.

We're just 15 minutes away from FP1 ahead of the most eagerly-anticipated championship decider in years between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who enter the weekend tied on 369.5 points apiece. For those who've been under a rock this past week, it's the first time that the title protagonists have been tied going into a finale since 1974.

Good morning everybody. So it's come down to this, the last grand prix of the year, to decide a Formula 1 world championship for the ages. For one last time in 2021, let's get the show rolling on practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.