The Briton looked down and out midway through the season as title rival Verstappen racked up the wins and opened up a sizeable gap on the Mercedes man. However, a vastly improved car thanks to an engine replacement means Hamilton has come roaring back with three wins on the trot to sit level with the Dutchman on points with one race to go.

The flying Finn has had a tremendous season in his final run out with Mercedes before he moves on to Alpha Romeo from next season. Despite the dominance from Verstappen and Hamilton, Bottas has more than held his own as the best of the rest and still has plenty to offer.

The young Dutchman — still only 24 — is something of a veteran on the F1 circuit already, with an astonishing seven seasons under his belt. While always offering plenty of promise, 2021 saw him came into his own as the true contender for Hamilton’s crown, albeit with some aggressive driving that has seen him penalised as Hamilton heaped on the pressure. If he finishes ahead of Hamilton on Sunday in Abu Dhabi he could really herald a new era for the sport and will be around for many years to come.

Perez has had a far more uncomfortable time in the second Red Bull as Verstappen has clearly made the No. 1 spot on the team his own. Perez has struggled with technical issues this season and no shortage of on-track errors sees him languishing a colossal 170-plus points behind the two leaders in fourth spot. He will be back for Red Bull next season hoping for more success.

With more than 200 F1 races to his name, Ricciardo has vast experience, and he will be eager to show he is still at the top of the game with a strong performance in Abu Dhabi to take into next season in the improving McLaren car.

Alongside Ricciardo in the pit lane is the relative newcomer Norris, who already has five podiums in two short seasons. The Briton is earmarked as one for the future and should come into his own in 2022, with two years still to run on his McLaren contract.

The once great Ferrari team have had a few years playing catch-up as Mercedes and Red Bull roared ahead. But they have one of the most talented drivers in Monaco’s Leclerc. The famous marque have placed their faith in the young driver, securing him on a long-term contract. Now they only need to get their car up to scratch.

With Leclerc firmly in place, Sainz — much like Perez at Red Bull — has had to play second fiddle. That was a decision that made Sebastian Vettel opt to move on last season and now Perez is just trying to keep up, with the hope that new changes from next season will level the playing field and he can compete at the front of the grid.

The two-time world champion retired from the sport in 2019, but was lured back after a stint in IndyCar in the United States by the rebranded Renault outfit. While one of the oldest guys on the grid, Spaniard Alonso has shown flashes of brilliance to show he still has his competitive edge at the age of 40.

Frenchman Ocon has been a perfect foil for Alonso, encouraging a healthy rivalry in the Alpine paddock, with the young French driver keeping his elder on his toes and keeping the team in contention for podium spots — he narrowly missed out on third spot on the final lap to Bottas on Sunday in Saudi Arabia and won an eventful Hungarian GP back in August.

Mercedes have their eyes on the future with promising young Briton Russell, signing him up for 2022 as Hamilton’s teammate, where he will replace the outgoing Bottas. He has already shown plenty of promise when he took the step up from feeder team Williams and into the Mercedes cockpit as cover for a COVID-stricken Hamilton at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, where only a series of unfortunate events denied him a spot on the podium and even possible victory in a hectic race.