Chronicle EditorLONDON. — The Formula One season winds up in Abu Dhabi on Sunday with both titles won, Lewis Hamilton aiming to close the year on a winning note and big money still at stake for those further down the paddock pecking order.
While four times world champion Hamilton’s Mercedes team mates can again look forward to healthy year-end bonuses, others are scrapping for crucial points that could swell their 2018 budgets.
Toro Rosso, Renault and Haas are just six points apart, with the difference between sixth place and eighth in the constructors’ championship equivalent to about $12 million when it comes to revenue distribution.
“This race is almost a championship in itself,” says Renault Sport F1 head Cyril Abiteboul, whose team are four points behind Toro Rosso and two clear of Ferrari-powered Haas.
There is extra needle in the showdown with Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso using the French manufacturer’s engines for one last time before switching to Honda. — Reuters
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