LEWIS HAMILTON is desperate to avoid another collision with Max Verstappen as a dramatic F1 title race reaches its thrilling climax.
Hamilton trails Verstappen in the standings by just eight points with two races left after winning in Qatar, and is ready to be ‘wary’ in order to avoid crashing out at the final hurdle.
The pair went wheel-to-wheel at the Brazil GP ten days ago, and the Brit cannot afford to crash out with precious few points left on offer.
Hamilton told the BBC: “You just have to be very, very wary – more wary than ever before.
“Rather than giving someone the benefit of the doubt, you have to know that’s what’s going to happen.
“So you always have to be ready to avoid a collision at all costs, [even] if it means going wide, because you want to see the end of the race, right?
“If you’re stubborn and you hold your ground, you’re going to crash. So that’s what I’ve just tried to do. I’ve tried to make sure I avoid the collision.
“And I think I’ve been pretty decent at it in most scenarios. You can’t always get it perfect.”
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Hamilton and Verstappen have collided on two occasions this campaign… so far.
The Brit was penalised for the first one at the British GP, while Verstappen was at fault when they crashed again at the Italian GP.
Two wins in the last two races for Hamilton in Brazil and Qatar have seen him eat into Verstappen’s lead at the top of the standings.
That’s after he struggled early on in the season while Verstappen clocked up victory after victory.
The seven-time world champion has admitted he endured a difficult spell, saying: “The first half of the season was one of the toughest I would say, that I’ve had.
“But right now I feel better than I’ve felt in a long time. So somehow I’ve managed to push through it.”
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Verstappen can win the title with a race to spare in Saudi Arabia on December 5, but it would be fitting for this incredible season to go down to the final race.
They could even head into the final race at Yas Marina LEVEL on points.
If Hamilton scoops the 25 points for a race win in Jeddah and the extra bonus point for clocking the fastest lap, they will be tied on points going into the last race of the season should Verstappen come second.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
