Preview of the Brazilian Grand Prix

The F1 season is coming to an exciting climax, with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton locked in an enthralling title battle.

One of the closest seasons in recent memory, Verstappen leads the standings with just four races left on the racing calendar.

And with the Brazilian Grand Prix coming up on Sunday, you can bet it will be another exciting weekend of racing action.

Last time out

Heading into last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, Red Bull were the race favourites, which meant it came as a shock when Mercedes qualified 1-2 with Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton.

However, when the race began, Red Bull seized the initiative, with Verstappen easing his way past both Mercedes cars after Bottas spun out and ended up at the back of the field.

Verstappen led from Hamilton, who was unable to challenge for the race victory and was instead fending off the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez in the closing laps.

In the end, the Dutch racer sealed the win in comfortable fashion, claiming his 19^th career win and putting him in pole position in the Drivers’ Championship.

Back to where it all began for Hamilton

This circuit will always be special to Hamilton, who won his first ever World Championship in Brazil way back in 2008.

Heading into the final race of the season, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa needed to win and hope that Hamilton would finish lower than fifth to claim the title ahead of the young Brit.

However, on the final lap of the season, Hamilton managed to pass Germany's Timo Glock, into fifth, while Massa and Ferrari were already beginning to celebrate what they thought would be a world crown.

Unfortunately for them, title joy turned into a title nightmare, with Hamilton picking up four points to see him finish the season on 98 points…one ahead of Massa.

Title race watch: Verstappen edging closer to glory

A win in Mexico saw Verstappen edge closer to the title.

A ninth win in 2021 helped him move to 312.5 points while Hamilton, his closest challenger, sits on 293.5 points.

After Brazil there are just three races left in the F1 season, with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi following up the Brazilian action this weekend.

Should Verstappen clinch a third successive victory following wins in the US and Mexico, he could all but seal the title if Hamilton fails to keep things close in Brazil.

So, Hamilton needs to win in order to keep his push for an eighth Drivers Championship title alive. Failure to do so would almost certainly signal an end to his recent years of dominance.

And his task will be made all the harder by the fact that he has been handed a 5-place grid penalty after taking an engine change.

PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES