Lewis Hamilton vs. Max Verstappen: What tires are the F1 championship rivals starting on for Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's battle for the F1 drivers' world championship could be decided by the tires they start the race on.

With his title rival on pole, Hamilton will have his work cut out from P2 on the grid when the lights go out on Sunday at the Yas Marina Circuit.

The Briton set his fastest time of the second qualifying session (Q2) shod with the yellow-wall mediums. He eventually ended up third at the end of Q2, behind the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Sergio Perez respectively.

Verstappen, on the other hand, set his quickest time in Q2 on a set of red-walled soft tires after a lock-up early on in the session resulted in a bald spot on one of his front tires.

One should note that even on the medium tires, the Dutchman was quicker than Lewis Hamilton, albeit by a whisker.

The Dutchman will start ahead of Hamilton on a track that has a reputation for eating up tires. It is also known for being a notoriously difficult venue for overtaking.

When asked about Verstappen's lap which got him pole position, Lewis Hamilton said:

"Firstly, Max (Verstappen) did a great lap. We just couldn't compete with that time in the end there but it was looking pretty strong through practice."

With Hamilton starting on the medium tires, it is likely that Verstappen will retain the lead into Turn 1 due to being on the soft tires. Mercedes engineers might need to figure out a way to win this race in the pits. Verstappen's soft tires will be faster but also be prone to quicker degradation.

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Lewis Hamilton is a master of nursing tires home

With bags of experience in his locker, Lewis Hamilton is an artist when it comes to making dead tires come alive.

The seven-time world champion has time and again displayed his mastery in the face of adversity with tires that perhaps only Sergio Perez would be able to work with on a good day.

At the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton held off Max Verstappen with 67-lap old tires. On multiple occasions this season, the Briton has complained about his tires before pulling out the fastest lap like a magician.

While he will start on a slower tire, Hamilton's tire management abilities could come to the fore in his title fight with Max Verstappen.