F1

MAX VERSTAPPEN and Lewis Hamilton head into next weekend’s title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix level on points after the Brit’s action-packed win in Saudi Arabia.The championship-leading Dutchman was forced to give first-place up after a collision with Hamilton in lap 37.
Verstappen was forced to give up first-place after a collision with Hamilton in lap 37Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Hamilton came away with minor wing damage at the front of the car and went on to winCredit: GETTY IMAGES
As Verstappen slowed, Hamilton clipped the back end of his rival’s car – damaging his front wing.
Nonetheless, Hamilton held his nerve and won the Saudi GP convincingly to claim his third victory in a row.
Verstappen was also given a ten-second penalty after the race, but it didn’t change his place on the podium.
The win sees Hamilton draw level on points with Verstappen with just Abu Dhabi to go.
But can Verstappen and Hamilton end the season level on points and if so, who will be crowned champion?
How can Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen finish level on points?
The two title challengers can finish level on points if one of the other finishes ninth or tenth.
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Ninth picks up two points in the championship and tenth only generates one.
But should the tenth-placed driver set the fastest lap of the race, they will pick up an extra point, meaning both pick up two for Abu Dhabi – therefore finishing level on 371.5 points.
Who wins the championship if they are level on points?
Should both finish level on points come Sunday evening, Verstappen will win his first F1 title, denying Hamilton of his record-breaking eighth.
Verstappen would finish top due to having nine GP wins to Hamilton’s eight.
Should the Dutchman come out on top, it would be Red Bull’s first championship since 2013 when Sebastian Vettel won his fourth in a row.
It would also prevent Hamilton winning his fifth title in a row, stopping him from drawing level with the legendary Michael Schumacher, who managed the record between 2000-04.

Who wins the F1 drivers’ world championship title if they both crash out?
If both crash out in Abu Dhabi, forcing both to retire from the race, Verstappen will be crowned champion.
Neither will pick up any points for finishing below 11th.
And with Verstappen having nine GP wins to Hamilton’s eight, he will take the F1 crown.
Alain Prost, who knows a thing or two about fiery title feuds, says you ‘can’t rule out such a scenario’ where one or both drivers crash out.
Prost’s feud with Ayrton Senna led to a crash at the 1989 Japanese GP. A repeat happened at the same track a year later too.
He told Bild: “Something like that could happen. That is why it is important not to cross the line. 
“The situation could arise where the drivers know at one corner or another ‘I will either win or lose the World Championship right here’.
“It’s already so tense, and the tension has only been rising for some time. So you can’t rule out such a scenario.
“I look at Monza, where if Max hadn’t tried to overtake Lewis he would have lost the race, so do you accept the risk or not?
“It’s not easy in a win or lose situation like this.”
Both have got too close for comfort numerous times this season.
Most notably at Silverstone and Monza.
Verstappen was forced to retire from the race at the British GP after being clipped and sent crashing into the wall at 160-miles-per-hour.
Verstappen was clipped by Hamilton at Silverstone and was sent crashing into the wall at 160MPHCredit: SKY SPORTS F1
The title contenders clashed at Monza too, with both retiring from the raceCredit: GETTY IMAGES
Hamilton went on to win the race, but Mercedes’ celebrations afterwards came under fire after the accident left Verstappen knocked out and led to the 24-year-old being air-lifted to hospital.
The pair then clashed at the Italian GP, which saw Verstappen’s car end up on top of Hamilton’s.
The halo ring safety feature – introduced in 2018 – prevented Hamilton from walking away with a serious injury, or possibly worse.
Hamilton’s halo ring potentially saved his lifeCredit: AFP More

RED BULL boss Christian Horner has labelled Lewis Hamilton’s collision with title rival Max Verstappen ‘very frustrating’, whilst also moaning about the Brit’s speed.The two title challengers collided on lap 37 after Verstappen was ordered to give up first place to the Brit.
Verstappen was ordered to give up first place to title rival HamiltonCredit: GETTY IMAGES
As Verstappen slowed, there was some confusion and Hamilton clipped the back end of the Red BullCredit: GETTY IMAGES
Despite some front wing damage, Hamilton won the race comfortablyCredit: GETTY IMAGES
As Verstappen slowed, Hamilton clipped the back end of his rival’s car – damaging his front wing.
Nonetheless, Hamilton held his nerve and won the Saudi GP convincingly to claim his third victory in a row, and the win sees him draw level on points with Verstappen with just Abu Dhabi to go.
On the lap 37 incident, Horner said: “That was a race that was very difficult to manage. I think race control struggled it as well with the amount of debris and VSCs (Virtual Safety Cars), restarts, safety cars.
“I think we feel hard done by with the five-second penalty and in the incident where Lewis has driven up the back of Max.
“They’ll go and explain in front of the stewards, but Max was trying to give the place up. We informed race control we were going to give the place up.
“He lifted off, I think you can hear Lewis has lifted off. I don’t know if he was messing around for the DRS line there.
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“It was clear that we were giving the place up. We’d informed race control. That was what we were going to do.
“There’d been a debate about it. Michael was adamant that you have a choice or it’s going to the stewards.
“At that point you know it’s going to be a penalty. So we said, ‘OK we’ll give the place up.’ We informed race control.”
Horner also didn’t hold back, claiming sectors two and three in the Saudi Grand Prix wasn’t ‘driver focused’, as ‘anyone can drive in a straight line’.
With Verstappen dominating sector one, it was seen as a dig at Hamilton.
He added: “Sector one is more driver focused and the sector two and three is more about the engine.
“Anyone can drive in a straight line.”
VERSTAPPEN PENALTY
After a meeting with the stewards, Verstappen was deemed to be at fault for the crash, and he was hit with a ten-second penalty.
However, the Dutchman keeps his second-place finish after finishing 16 seconds faster than Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
When asked about the incident later, Hamilton – who is chasing an eighth world title – said: “For me I really had to try and keep my cool out there which was really difficult to do.
“I have raced a lot of drivers through my life in 28 years and I have come across a lot of different characters.
“There’s a few at the top which are over the limit, rules don’t apply or don’t think of the rules.
“I just try to do my talking on the track and keep the car between the white lines and do it the right way.

“There were so many crazy kerb walls and then he obviously brake-tested, I think to try and get the DRS into the last corner to overtake me again going into turn one.
“Does Max fall into that category… he is over the limit for sure.
“I have avoided collisions on so many occasions with the guy and I don’t know in his mind being the one who does that.
“But you fight to live another day, which I did.”
‘Anyone can drive in a straight line’, says Red Bull boss HornerCredit: EPA More