Lewis Hamilton has said that he and Mercedes will bring their “triple A game” to the final two races of the 2021 Formula 1 season in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
Hamilton secured his second consecutive victory after winning the Qatar Grand Prix yesterday from pole position. The Brit finished over 25 seconds ahead of title rival Max Verstappen.
Verstappen started the race in seventh position, having been handed a five-place grid penalty for a yellow flag infringement in qualifying. He moved up to fourth at turn one, before eventually finishing second and recording the fastest lap.
As a result of the final classification, the Dutchman’s lead over Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship has been cut from 14 to eight points. There are two races remaining in the season, and a maximum of 52 points are up for grabs for each driver.
Formula 1 will visit Saudi Arabia for the first time on December 5. The season finale then takes place at the newly reconfigured Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi on December 12.
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Hamilton goes into the next race with momentum. He has won the last two races. Prior to Qatar, the 36-year-old went from 20th and last after sprint qualifying in Brazil due to a disqualification, to taking the chequered flag in the race proper.
Lewis Hamilton on Qatar victory and Mercedes approach
Speaking after his victory in Qatar, Hamilton says that the final two races will require an even better performance – and explained how he and his team will approach proceedings.
He told Sky Sports F1: “I’m loving it [the title fight]. I love the close battle, the pressure, the demands it puts on you and the whole team.”
“So I thoroughly enjoyed it but these next two races need even better performance, so we’ll be bringing our ‘triple A’ game for those ones.”
On his most recent two victories, he explained: “The last two weeks have been fantastic, just amazing. But there’s no time for celebration. I’ll be back with the team already again next week and training tomorrow, stay on it, heads down.”
When is the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?
Formula 1 will race at the all-new Jeddah International Circuit in Saudi Arabia for the first time in December.
The race will take place at 5:30pm UK time on December 5, with qualifying commencing at a slightly earlier time of 5pm the previous day.
The race will be run during the night in Saudi Arabia. That will be the third time F1 has held a night race this season.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
