It seems incredible that a season with such vast swings in the championship lead could come down to the final race of the year, but here we are. It’s Abu Dhabi, and whilst not a circuit that inspires confidence that we’ll see a classic event, tensions are running high as there’s a title on the line. It’s been a long year, and everyone is keen to see this season wrapped up but which way is it going to go? There’s only one way to find out!

Event schedule

Although it is Lewis Hamilton chasing for the championship in this final round, the pressure is all on Nico Rosberg’s shoulders. Hamilton has to go all out for the win, and that’s all he can do. The rest is in his teammate’s hands, as it will be down to bad luck or a mistake on the German’s part for everything to turn around. It’s going to be an interesting fight, assuming it doesn’t all unravel at the first corner one way or the other.

Elsewhere, there are only three seats for the 2017 season up for grabs, so all eyes are on the Sauber and Manor team to see who has impressed them and/or who has provided the most cash for the coming year. With a few changes happening in the mid-field it’s interesting to see how some drivers cope with their final races for their current teams.

Talking of final races, we are, of course, bidding a fond farewell to Felipe Massa this weekend, after his emotional send off in Brazil. And we also wave a perhaps temporary but likely permanent goodbye to Jenson Button as he embarks on a much needed sabbatical. Probably good timing as well, considering the bad feeling at McLaren at the moment.

Support racing for this event includes GP2 Series and GP3 Series.

Expected conditions

The race in Abu Dhabi has been bumped towards twilight, meaning temperatures will be cooler than in years gone by, but naturally it's expected there will be clear skies for the most part. The one tricky variable to deal with will be the winds, as they can blow dust onto the track and reduce grip throughout the weekend.

There could be some cloudy conditions, particularly at the start of the weekend, but by the time the final race is underway, it's expected to be sunshine, and then moonshine with no problems at all.

Circuit history

Yas Marina Circuit hasn't always been the site of classic races, but its position at the end of the racing calendar means it has seen some championship showdowns. The nature of the circuit - flat, technical, quite dull - means that the action can leave a lot to be desired, but still, it's a weekend worth watching.

This year, some of the guardrailings and bollards have been replaced, whilst there has also been a kerb added at turn one, but otherwise the circuit remains unchanged. A lap of the track takes in three distinct sections: the first featuring some fast flowing corners, the second indulging in some incredibly long straights, and the final section slowing things down considerably.

Of the seven races that have taken place in Abu Dhabi, three have been won by Sebastian Vettel, two by Lewis Hamilton, and a single win each for Kimi Räikkönen and Nico Rosberg. Pole position is considered very useful, particularly as overtaking can be difficult, but it isn't the be all and end all to a good race result.

Tyre compounds

Pirelli are giving their new ultrasoft tyres a final outing in Abu Dhabi this weekend, bringing the three softest compounds to Yas Marina for the drivers to choose from. The smooth track surface and mixture of fast and slow corners, mixed with the warm conditions, can make life a little easier on the tyres than at other venues.

There are a variety of strategies going on this week, with drivers favouring the softs and ultrasofts more than the red striped tyres. Vettel, along with a few others, has only brought one set of supersofts to the mix, whilst Hülkenberg is sacrificing both yellow and red stripes for more of the ultrasofts to be available to him.

Selected tyre sets per driver

Lewis Hamilton	4	2	7
Nico Rosberg	4	2	7
Sebastian Vettel	5	1	7
Kimi Räikkönen	4	2	7
Valtteri Bottas	4	2	7
Felipe Massa	5	1	7
Daniel Ricciardo	5	2	6
Max Verstappen	5	2	6
Nico Hülkenberg	3	2	8
Sergio Pérez	3	3	7
Kevin Magnussen	5	2	6
Jolyon Palmer	4	3	6
Daniil Kvyat	4	2	7
Carlos Sainz	4	2	7
Marcus Ericsson	3	4	6
Felipe Nasr	3	4	6
Fernando Alonso	5	1	7
Jenson Button	5	1	7
Pascal Wehrlein	4	3	6
Esteban Ocon	4	3	6
Romain Grosjean	4	2	7
Esteban Gutiérrez	3	3	7

Press conference schedule

Official press conferences are organised by the FIA and happen four times during the weekend. The qualifying and post race press conferences will take place after the television unilateral interviews.

Race stewards

The FIA stewarding process includes a former F1 driver to offer added insight. These stewards are overseeing the weekend's action.

Paul Gutjhar was originally scheduled to be the Chairman of the FIA Stewards for the Abu Dhabi weekend, but was replaced due to exceptional circumstances, by Silvia Bellot on the Friday, and Gerd Ennser for the remainder of the weekend.