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Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are two of the best drivers on the current Formula 1 grid. One is a seven-time world champion and the other a child prodigy looking to kickstart a new era in the sport.
With just six races left on the 2021 calendar, only six points separate these two drivers. It's a battle for the ages and unlike anything fans of the current V6 turbo hybrid era have experienced before.
Such is the evenness of the levels at which both drivers and their teams have been able to perform this year that making any kind of legitimate prediction is nigh on impossible.
That said, in this feature, we will evaluate some key factors that could play a role in ultimately deciding which driver emerges with the championship trophy after the dust settles in Abu Dhabi.
Machinery (W12 vs RB16B)
The first and perhaps most important factor that we'll take into consideration is the machinery that both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have at their disposal. Earlier in the season, it was quite clear that Max Verstappen behind the wheel of the Red Bull was an overall better package than Hamilton in his Mercedes.
Mercedes began the 2021 Formula 1 season with a tricky car. While that still didn't stop Lewis Hamilton from winning the opening race of the season in Bahrain, the races weren't a cakewalk like in seasons past. As the summer months approached, Verstappen had the upper hand in most races and soon emerged as a legitimate title threat.
However, the narrative changed since the British Grand Prix. Mercedes introduced an upgrade which saw them enjoy a substantial jump in straight-line speed. Such was the sheer grunt powering the Silver Arrows that they could run more downforce in their setup and stay level with the more trimmed-out Red Bulls at most tracks.
Ever since the British Grand Prix, more often than not, Mercedes has been the stronger package. On days when Lewis Hamilton couldn't find his way to the front, like at the Turkish Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas could comfortably beat Max Verstappen in a straight fight.
Hence its advantage Lewis Hamilton based on machinery alone.
Team (Mercedes vs Red Bull)
When we talk about the team, we talk about everything except the driver and the car at his disposal. As alluded to by Jacques Villeneuve recently, Red Bull and Verstappen have been on point in terms of maximizing their package recently.
While there have been multiple occasions when Lewis Hamilton has had to deal with his team's questionable strategy calls, the same can't be said for Max Verstappen. More often than not, Red Bull have been on the money when it came to critical race-winning decisions on the pitwall.
That is arguably the primary reason why Max Verstappen still holds the lead in the championship despite going to the tracks where Mercedes has been the better car.
Even recently at the Turkish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton scored a sub-optimal result because of a questionable strategy. And who can forget him starting the Hungarian Grand Prix on the Intermediate tires while the rest of the grid was in the pits for slicks?
If we have to hand the advantage to anyone on the basis of their respective teams, then it has to be Max Verstappen.
Teammate (Valtteri Bottas vs Sergio Perez)
Neither Lewis Hamilton nor Max Verstappen's teammates have had a stellar or even consistent season. Both Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez will be a bit disappointed when they look back on their respective performances during the 2021 season.
That doesn't mean, however, that the two drivers have not helped their teammates at various junctures. Perez valiantly defended himself against Lewis Hamilton in Turkey and ultimately denied the Brit a podium finish.
Despite his race catching the most attention, what went under the radar was how well Bottas drove that weekend and managed to fend off Verstappen. If Bottas had not done that and had Max won the race, it would have resulted in another seven points for Max which would have been an unideal scenario for Lewis Hamilton.
To be fair to Perez, he did have to spend the early part of the season getting acclimatized to his new team. However, their performances being what they are, Bottas has been the Mercedes driver who's been more impressive overall when it comes to aiding his teammate. At this stage, Bottas looks more capable of influencing the championship than Perez, and hence Lewis Hamilton holds the advantage over Verstappen on this front.
Driving ability (Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen)
Last but not least is the factor that both the drivers have the most control over. With each contender's machinery being so close in terms of performance over the course of the season, the driving abilities of both the drivers are going to come to the forefront.
So far, it's hard to deny that Verstappen has had a stellar season and the only reason he's not leading the championship by a bigger margin is because Lewis Hamilton has had a bit more than his fair share of good luck.
One would be hard-pressed to pinpoint the mistakes made by Verstappen as they haven't been as glaring as the ones made by the Mercedes driver.
Lewis Hamilton, for his part, has had an uncharacteristically erratic season. The trip to the gravel trap at Imola, the pitlane-spin in Russia, the indecision over pitting in Turkey are just some of the many mistakes that have dotted Hamilton's championship campaign.
The Dutchman has no doubt been better in terms of holding his nerve as well as his steering wheel and if we have to give an advantage to either of the two on driving ability alone, we choose Verstappen.
Conclusion
Ironically, after looking at the factors that could play a role in the championship, we are stuck at two apiece for both drivers. In many ways, that sums up the season in a nutshell. It's just too hard to predict because the margins are too minuscule.
Having said that, as a tie-breaker, with all other things considered equal, we give more weightage to the driving abilities of each contender. And with Verstappen edging out Lewis Hamilton in that regard, we lean towards the Red Bull driver as the one who holds the edge in the championship battle this season.
