Going by the practice times at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of the Formula One season, it looks like Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, the two Mercedes drivers in title contention, will fight it out tooth and nail right until the end come race day Friday.
Hamilton topped the times in the second practice session of the Abu Dhabi GP on Friday, with Rosberg right behind him in the timesheets.
"It's been a good Friday," said Hamilton to Formula One's official website. "We've run the same programme as we run every race weekend but this time we had the whole of both sessions to work with the tyres, look at long runs, analyse setup and the countless other things you need to assess in practice which was great.
"We made good steps forward with the setup but, as always, there is still more time to be found. We'll keep chipping away at it and look to improve in every area possible but the car feels great -- the best I've ever driven here without doubt.
"The team have done an amazing job. Coming into the weekend I was already excited and couldn't wait to get out on track. When you know you have a package as competitive as ours it's like being a kid at Christmas."
If Hamilton betters Rosberg's result, or even stays close to him on Sunday, the Brit should come away the winner, with Hamilton currently holding a 17-point lead over his Mercedes teammate.
"I don't feel any particular pressure this weekend," added Hamilton. "I'll just drive the way I always drive and what will be, will be. So far it's all moving in the right direction so I just have to keep working away at it."
There is nothing much to play for other than this gripping title battle – not that that is not enough – with the race for the contructors' title also done and dusted thanks to Mercedes' ridiculous form this season in F1.
While Hamilton will know all he really needs to do is get his car over the line – such is the strength of the Mercedes that if that happens, it will be invariably in a podium place – the Brit will also be wary of Rosberg, and therefore will hope for pole position in qualifying on Saturday.
For Rosberg, Saturday will be about setting the tone for the race on Sunday, and the German will want to do just that by taking pole position as well.
"It's been a good day today but I really haven't got my best lap together yet, so there is still a lot of work to do over the rest of the weekend," Rosberg said on Friday. "In general the car felt great out there today.
"I just need to fine-tune it so that the set-up is exactly to my liking, then go for it and get the job done.
"This track really is amazing. It's always a highlight when darkness falls and the lights come up -- just spectacular. It will be a great show here, so I hope the fans at the circuit and everyone watching at home enjoy it."
Where to Watch Live
Get the Qualifying Results HERE
The third anf final practice session is scheduled to begin at 2 pm local time (3.30 pm IST, 10 am GMT) with qualifying scheduled for a 5 pm local time (6.30 pm IST, 1 pm BST) start. Live coverage in India will be on Star Sports 4 and Star Sports HD1. Viewers in India and Asia can also watch the qualifying session via live streaming online on Racematelive or Starsports.com.
UK viewers can catch the Abu Dhabi GP on Sky Sports F1 or via a live stream on Sky Sports Online or Sky Go. US viewers watch the race live on NBC Sports or NBC Sports Live Extra. Bein Sports will provide live coverage in the Middle East and North Africa while viewers can also catch the race action via Live Streaming on Bein Sports Connect.
