Already having clinched the title, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton will look to sign off his campaign with a win at Abu Dhabi.
The race will also mark his 250th start in the Formula One -- the season-ending event in Abu Dhabi. He will also look to extend his winning streak at the Yas Marina circuit despite being the most successful driver.
He also became the only the second driver to win the sixth US Grand Prix title last month. He will hoping for a perfect finale to cap the season on winning note as a younger generation of drivers is expected to give him a tougher fight next season.
“It’s inevitable that the youngsters are going to come through,” Hamilton said after the last race in Brazil, where he finished third but ended up seventh after a post-race penalty for tangling with Red Bull’s Thai rookie Alexander Albon.
The average age of the top three at Interlagos — Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly and McLaren’s Spaniard Carlos Sainz — was 23 years, eight months and 23 days and the sport’s youngest podium yet.
“I feel like I’m able to still kick it with these guys and so I’m excited for the future,” said Hamilton, who can also equal his own record of 33 successive points finishes on Sunday.
“Hopefully next year we’re going to have a serious three-way, four-way battle and that’s great for Formula One.”
Hamilton has won half of the season’s 20 races so far, propelling his team to an unprecedented sixth successive title double, but Brazil was a disappointing weekend with Valtteri Bottas retiring.
“The underperformance in Brazil means we head to Abu Dhabi with a point to prove,” said team boss Toto Wolff.
Ferrari’s 22-year-old Charles Leclerc has made his mark since the August break, winning twice and is set to end the season as the driver with most pole positions (seven so far).
Verstappen, also 22, took his third win of the campaign in Brazil and is fighting Leclerc for third overall.
If there is to be a challenge to Mercedes, who have won every race in Abu Dhabi since 2014, it looks more likely to come from Ferrari.
The Italian team have already secured second in the constructors’ standings but have never won in Abu Dhabi, a track located right next to their Ferrari World theme park.
Even if they have cleared the air between their drivers after Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel collided in Brazil, there is still likely to be plenty of tension as they too seek to finish on a positive note.
Meanwhile, Ferrari have yet to win in Abu Dhabi, an anti-clockwise circuit next door to Ferrari World theme park. Mercedes have won the last five editions.
Four of the current drivers have won in Abu Dhabi: Vettel (2009, 2010 and 2013), Hamilton (2011, 2014, 2016, 2018), Kimi Raikkonen (2012), Valtteri Bottas (2017).