Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen scheduled together for pre-Abu Dhabi Grand Prix interviews

After a controversial and intense race at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are to feature together for the pre-grand prix press conference. With the title in the balance, the pairing is sure to catch eyeballs. This would be the perfect way to start the crucial weekend of the 2021 Formula 1 season.

Last Sunday's race saw seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton take all the points and draw level with young Max Verstappen. Suffice to say, several talking points surfaced throughout the 50-lap race at the Corniche circuit in Saudi Arabia.

Despite the 10-second penalties, the Dutchman finished P2, making the final race at the Yas Marina circuit a title-decider.

Other pairings include the German duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mick Scumacher, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, and the rookies Nikita Mazepin and Yuki Tsunoda. In what will be Honda's last race in F1, Masashi Yamamoto will be paired up with Mattia Binotto. The two will be present for Friday's conference.

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Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's bosses to feature together

The team principals of the title contenders have not shied awayed from controversy this season

With one of the most contentious racing seasons coming to an end, yet another eventful subplot has been brewing on the side - the battle of the constructors, Mercedes and Red Bull. Both teams' respective principals have gone against each other several times.

Neither of the team's bosses have shied away from bold, controversial statements, with the Red Bull boss receiving an official warning from Qatar GP stewards. The situation arose after his aggressive comments about the marshal who waved yellow flags in the incident that led to Max Verstappen's grid penalty. Interestingly, this race saw Lewis Hamilton finish at the top step.

Toto Wolff is hopeful that the race at Yas Marina won't be "messy":

"I said in Brazil we're setting a precedent [...] that could end up really ugly for the championship. And we’ve seen incidents today that were pretty much Brazil at slower speeds."

With both championships still up for grabs, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is all set to be the deserving finale to this eventful 2021 Formula 1 season. Coupled with that, the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will reach its conclusion.

Keep your eyes peeled for what promises to be an exhilarating precursor to the final showdown between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.