Hamilton confident ahead of championship showdown in Abu Dhabi - MotorSportsTalk

Lewis Hamilton has said that he is feeling confident ahead of next weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the F1 championship showdown, with his track record at Yas Marina suggesting he is the man to beat.

Hamilton enters the final race of the 2014 Formula 1 season with a 17-point lead over Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, knowing that a second place finish in Abu Dhabi will give him a second world title.

The Briton won the race at Yas Marina in 2011 and also finished on the podium in 2010, but he has twice retired when leading the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (2009 and 2012).

Should Hamilton fail to see the checkered flag next weekend, it would almost certainly put paid to his championship hopes, but he remains relaxed and confident ahead of the final race of 2014.

“People talk about how long it’s been since I won the title, but I honestly feel like I’m fighting for my first world championship all over again,” Hamilton said. “Sure, I’m older and maybe a little bit wiser than I was back then. I’ve learnt a lot in the years since 2008, but I’m still the same driver. I still have the same hunger, the same will to win, and I’ve been giving it everything I’ve got from the word go this season.

“I’ve had ups and downs along the way, but I’ve never once given up. I’ve managed to fight my way back from whatever has come my way and my approach doesn’t change for this race.

“I’ve got a good record at the Abu Dhabi circuit. Last year was actually the only time I’ve not started on the front row or finished on the podium.

“But I’ve also had some misfortune there over the years – particularly in 2012. I’m hoping that bad luck won’t play a part this time around and I know that the team has been working flat out to make sure it doesn’t.

“I’m feeling relaxed, I’m feeling confident and I’m ready to win.”

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An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”