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Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are level on points as the Formula 1 juggernaut reaches Abu Dhabi for the season finale.
In the aftermath of the controversial incident during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the question begs to be asked: What if there was a repeat of the crash between the two title contenders, and this time round, they are not as lucky?
The simple answer: the driver that has the most wins this season will win the championship.
Going into the final race of the season, the two drivers will race against each other with everything on the line. In view of this, a scenario where they crash into each other in the race, effectively taking out both, cannot be discounted.
So far this season, Max Verstappen has nine wins to his name, while Lewis Hamilton has eight. According to this statistic, if the two drivers crash into each other in the last race of the season and are unable to score any points, Max Verstappen will be the 2021 Formula 1 Drivers' Champion, robbing Lewis Hamilton of his record-breaking eighth world title.
Has something similar happened earlier in F1 history?
1994 was a different time in Formula 1, when the Australian Grand Prix, held then at the Adelaide Street Circuit, was the last race of the season. Contrary to those times, the recent past has seen Australia become the first race of the season, played out at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne.
Heading into the final race that year, Michael Schumacher was leading the drivers' championship fight with Damon Hill by a solitary point.
Michael Schumacher's very first title challenge would feature both the drivers colliding with each other on lap 36, leading to a DNF for both the drivers and Schumacher winning his very first title.
Years later, speculation is still rife on whether Schumacher's move causing the collision was intentional. The question remains unanswered.
How has Lewis Hamilton fared in the previous Championship showdown races?
Lewis Hamilton has been involved in as many as five last-race championship showdowns in his career so far. His 2016 battle in a losing cause with then-teammate Nico Rosberg was the closest fight Hamilton has had in recent years until now.
Going by a statistic that could be something Lewis Hamilton might not derive confidence from, the reigning champion has won the championship in only two out of those five showdowns.
Lewis Hamilton, with three consecutive wins to his name and a comparatively faster car at his disposal, should start as the favorite to win the title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull, however, have displayed throughout the season what they are capable of, making predictions difficult as the season draws to a close.
