LEWIS HAMILTON and Max Verstappen’s EPIC F1 title race is going right to the wire, as the defending champ branded his rival “f****** crazy.”The pair finished first and second in Saudi Arabia and are now level on points going into a nail-biting final weekend of fast track action.
There was debris strewn across the track after a heart-stopping moment where Verstappen was forced to let the Brit overtake him and they COLLIDED.
The stench of ill feeling between the Mercedes champ and Red Bull pretender has simmered all season and has boiled over a few times already.
Now, after storming off the podium in a huff, hot-headed Verstappen will have to summon all his might to try and prise the F1 championship off Hamilton, who could become the greatest driver of all time in Abu Dhabi this coming weekend.
Hamilton said of the collision: “This guy is f****** crazy. It was just dangerous driving dude.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve had to avoid collisions.
“It was clear that others around us were willing to take it to all sorts of levels to overtake so I just tried to keep it on the track and stay out of trouble.
“We are supposed to do our racing on track between the white lines.
“The rules haven’t been clear from the stewards and those things have been allowed, so it has continued.”
Hamilton and Verstappen are now both on 369.5 championship points, but only one driver can take the spoils in the last weekend of action.
Saudi Arabian GP result: 1st Hamilton 2nd Verstappen 3rd Bottas 4th Ocon
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MAX ON FORM
Tyson Fury has defended Max Verstappen after the F1 star’s latest controversy with Lewis Hamilton.
Fury said: “I’ve just been reading up about the F1 rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen and how Max is being made out to be a bit of a bad boy
“It’s not nice, especially when you are young and ambitious and want to win.
“Give him a bit of a break – he’s only a young lad trying his best.
“Good luck to both men in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.”
RULED OUT
Lewis Hamilton took a swipe at rival Max Verstappen by suggesting the rules ‘don’t apply to one of us’ after their collision in Jeddah.
Hamilton won a thrilling Saudi Arabia Grand Prix on Sunday to go level on points with Verstappen and set up a title decider in the final race in Abu Dhabi.
The British superstar narrowly avoided disaster after his Red Bull foe braked suddenly when allowing him to retake position.
It saw the pair collide before the Mercedes driver managed to overtake a few laps later.
The Dutchman was ordered to let Hamilton pass after he cut him up to avoid being overtaken – once again nearly causing a crash.
Hamilton said: “I don’t think I’ve changed the way that I race.
“I think we’re seeing multiple incidents this year where even with Brazil we’re supposed to do our racing on track in between the white lines and the rules haven’t been clear from the stewards, that those things have been allowed, so that’s continued.
“From my understanding, I know that I can’t overtake someone and go off track and then keep the position but I think that’s well known between all us drivers but it doesn’t apply to one of us, I guess.”
DON’T STAPP NOW
Max Verstappen has been labelled “a gladiator” by Red Bull boss Christian Horner who says it is now his driver’s time to rule the F1 Empire.
Verstappen, 24, clashed with Lewis Hamilton in the sensational Saudi Arabian GP on Sunday to set up a one-race winner-takes-all finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
After nine months of wheel-to-wheel racing and 22 races across the globe, both drivers are level on points going into the last race of the season.
Hamilton’s victory in Jeddah came after Verstappen was penalised by the stewards – once for cutting a corner and another time for brake-testing Hamilton, as the two made contact for the third time this season.
With both drivers at war, along with their respective teams, it is all poised to be a duel to the end.
Horner said: “Max has fought like a gladiator [last] weekend and given it everything, so we now have one chance.
“We have a week to regroup and now it goes down to the wire at Abu Dhabi.
“It’s a straight-out fight as it has been for the entire year. For the fans it is fantastic, it keeps the championship dream alive and we have one shot and it’s time to take it.”
TO THE MAX
Alain Prost can’t rule out a potential crash in Abu Dhabi as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s rivalry has reached peak levels.
Prost knows all about tactical and dangerous driving at the F1 season’s climax.
He told Bild: “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.”
Credit: PA
JOS SAYING
Max Verstappen will “do everything” to beat Lewis Hamilton in this weekend’s Formula One title decider in Abu Dhabi.
That is according to Verstappen’s father Jos, who is a former F1 driver himself and believes his son will leave it all out on the track as his rivalry with Hamilton reaches its intense conclusion.
The Dutchman, however, doesn’t expect a crash to occur, even though a collision that renders both drivers unable to finish the race would lead to Max’s first world championship.
Jos told the Mail: “I don’t think that [a crash] will happen.
“Max absolutely wants to win. He will definitely go for it.
“He will clearly try to beat him. He will do everything to get the win, that’s for sure. It will be exciting.”
GOOD MORNING F1 FANS
Max Verstappen has been labelled ‘a gladiator’ by Red Bull boss Christian Horner who says it is now his driver’s time to rule the F1 Empire.
Horner said: “Max has fought like a gladiator [last] weekend and given it everything, so we now have one chance.
“We have a week to regroup and now it goes down to the wire at Abu Dhabi.
“It’s a straight-out fight as it has been for the entire year. For the fans it is fantastic, it keeps the championship dream alive and we have one shot and it’s time to take it.”
Meanwhile, Hamilton is odds-on with Ladbrokes to win a record-breaking eighth World Drivers’ Championship.
After a scintillating race in Saudi Arabia, the bookies have priced Hamilton up at just 2/5 to come out on top as all eyes turn to Abu Dhabi next weekend, with Verstappen being a 7/4 shot in the betting as things stand.
Elsewhere, 10/1 says Hamilton scoops a third BBC Sports Personality of the Year later this month.
Finally, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has claimed his team are treated differently to Mercedes by FIA stewards.
He said: “Our engineers are preparing that we can prove Max was constant with his braking, he didn’t brake test like Hamilton said.
“Then he crashed into our car, he unfortunately put two cuts in the rear tyre. That was so severe that we couldn’t attack anymore. We had to take speed out.
“That was the one thing. The next thing was at the second start, Hamilton was more than ten [car] lengths behind.
“[Sebastian] Vettel got penalised in Budapest when he did it. But with this manoeuvre he [Hamilton] was preparing his tyre better for the start.
“Then he pushed Max off, no reaction. So we feel we are not treated the same.”
LEW ARE YA?
Will Lewis Hamilton become an eight-time world champion in Abu Dhabi?
FANDEMONIUM
Max Verstappen thanked fans for voting him Driver of the Day at the Saudi GP.
He beamed: Luckily the fans have a clear mind about racing.
“I’m just trying to race. This sport is more about penalties than racing. I’m pleased the fans enjoyed it and I gave it my all today.”
STAPP IT
Max Verstappen admits he ‘didn’t agree’ with a number of events at the Saudi GP.
He said: “It was quite eventful. A lot of things happened which I don’t fully agree with but it is what it is.
“I tried on the track to give it all but the tyres weren’t lasting until the end.
“I think it was good for the end of the stint but I was lacking a bit of rubber at the end. But nevertheless [I was] still second.
“[For the collision] I slowed down, I wanted to let him [Hamilton] by, I was on the right but he didn’t want to overtake and we touched.
“I don’t really understand what happened there. It will be decided [at Abu Dhabi] hopefully we have a good weekend.”
MAX ANGER
Lewis Hamilton labelled title rival Max Verstappen ‘f***ing crazy’ after crashing into the back of him during a remarkable Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Verstappen, who had already been given a five-second penalty for leaving the track earlier in the race, had been informed he needed to give the lead back to Hamilton following a decision from the stewards.
But, after touching moments earlier when Hamilton attempted to pass Verstappen, the Dutchman then slowed down to let Hamilton past but the Brit appeared confused.
Then when Hamilton drove up behind Verstappen he hit the back of the Red Bull – an incident the seven-time champion believes was caused by Verstappen brake-testing him.
Speaking during the race, Hamilton said: “This guy is f***ing crazy, man. It was just dangerous driving dude.”
FIT TO BE TIED
Enzo Fittipaldi smashed into the back of Theo Pourchaire after he stalled on the grid at the beginning of the F2 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Pourchaire started third on the grid but stalled straight away.
A number of drivers avoided the ART driver but Fittipaldi had already picked up considerable speed and could not avoid the collision.
Fittipaldi was sent crashing into the barriers with parts of his car flying over the edge of the track before the car came to a halt.
F2 driver Fittipaldi smashes into back of stalled car in huge crash with part of vehicle flying over barrier
MAX SPEED
Max Verstappen’s dad claims he has no respect for Lewis Hamilton as a man.
He said: “I never speak to Lewis.
“He doesn’t need to speak to me. I’m nothing to him. I respect him as a driver, but the rest… nothing.
“Max and Lewis only speak on the podium, very little.
“When I see Max with other drivers, I think they get on very well. But with Lewis nothing. Lewis is in his own world.
“I did F1 — compared to Max I was nowhere — but I talk to some of the drivers and they are all very friendly, or just say hello or whatever.
“We are on the plane together many times, always the same group of drivers and we have a lot of fun.
“But there are ‘some’ drivers who don’t look at you, who look at the ground.”
WINNING FORMULA
Being an F1 driver, Lewis Hamilton is a natural globetrotter.
Flying from circuit to circuit, the Brit has won the world championship SEVEN times.
Before he set off in pursuit of the 2021 title – having overtaken Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 career race wins last year – he at least had a choice of four luxury homes to self-isolate in.
From a £32MILLION penthouse in New York to an £18MILLION London mansion and a Monte Carlo retreat, the 36-year-old racer knows how to live a life of luxury.
SEE HAMILTON’S HOUSES HERE
MARK MY WORDS
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has claimed his team are treated differently to Mercedes by FIA stewards.
He said: “Our engineers are preparing that we can prove Max was constant with his braking, he didn’t brake test like Hamilton said.
“Then he crashed into our car, he unfortunately put two cuts in the rear tyre. That was so severe that we couldn’t attack anymore. We had to take speed out.
“That was the one thing. The next thing was at the second start, Hamilton was more than ten [car] lengths behind.
“[Sebastian] Vettel got penalised in Budapest when he did it. But with this manoeuvre he [Hamilton] was preparing his tyre better for the start.
“Then he pushed Max off, no reaction. So we feel we are not treated the same.”
SAUD BUT TRUE
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was one of the most memorable in recent history.
Jeddah certainly lived up to the hype as fans saw two red flags, crashes, near misses and time penalties.
But what seven key moments in Saudi set up the title-decider?
CHECK THEM OUT HERE
DON’T STAPP BELIEVING
Max Verstappen has been labelled “a gladiator” by Red Bull boss Christian Horner who says it is now his driver’s time to rule the F1 Empire.
Horner said: “Max has fought like a gladiator [last] weekend and given it everything, so we now have one chance.
“We have a week to regroup and now it goes down to the wire at Abu Dhabi.
“It’s a straight-out fight as it has been for the entire year. For the fans it is fantastic, it keeps the championship dream alive and we have one shot and it’s time to take it.”
RACE PAIN
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has labelled Lewis Hamilton’s collision with title rival Max Verstappen ‘very frustrating’.
He 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.
“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.”
STAPP RIGHT NOW
Max Verstappen stormed off the podium after finishing second in Saudi Arabia.
The Red Bull ace refused to hang out for the champagne spray after losing out to Lewis Hamilton.
And he refused to look his rival in the face as they accepted their trophies following yesterday’s dramatic race.
MAX POWER
Max Verstappen was hit with a 10-second penalty after causing a crash with Lewis Hamilton at the Saudi Arabian GP.
The Red Bull ace was handed the time punishment by race stewards on Sunday night after colliding with his Mercedes rival on lap 37.
However, Verstappen keeps his second-place finish after coming in 16 seconds faster than third-place Valtteri Bottas.
And it means he remains level with Hamilton points going into next weekend’s final race with the title at stake.
HAM HOCK
Lewis Hamilton is odds-on with Ladbrokes to win a record-breaking eighth World Drivers’ Championship.
After a scintillating race in Saudi Arabia, the bookies have priced Hamilton up at just 2/5 to come out on top as all eyes turn to Abu Dhabi next weekend, with Max Verstappen being a 7/4 shot in the betting as things stand.
Elsewhere, 10/1 says Lewis Hamilton scoops a third BBC Sports Personality of the Year later this month.
F1 World Drivers’ Championship Winner:
Lewis Hamilton – 2/5
Max Verstappen – 7/4
SPOTY:
Lewis Hamilton to win 2021 BBC Sports Personality of the Year – 10/1
*Odds according to Ladbrokes and correct at time of writing
RUN WITH THE WOLFF
Toto Wolff was left fuming with Max Verstappen’s driving in Saudi Arabia.
He said: “I don’t think this is done yet. Lewis deserved it, he could’ve been out a few times with a broken wing. That was spectacular, but not good racing.
“The telemetry shows he [Verstappen] is slowing down, then accelerated, then slowing down again. Lewis did not know [if he was being allowed to move ahead], it’s the wrong sequence of messages.
“We need to look at the stewards and they look at the telemetry and come to a judgement.
“It was a degree of frustration and I need to reserve judgement until I’ve seen the race again tomorrow.
“The driving needs to be assessed and looked at. It is hard, very hard, maybe over the line. We just want to have a clean championship and the best man wins.
“If it is Max, I’m at peace with that but we need it to be a fair race. Max has more wins so it’s still an advantage.
“It’s important to have a great, great race at the end of the season, with two fantastic drivers racing each other. It’s going down to the wire and that’s how it should be.”
RULED OUT
Lewis Hamilton took a swipe at rival Max Verstappen by suggesting the rules don’t apply to one of them after their collision in Jeddah.
Hamilton said: “I don’t think I’ve changed the way that I race.
“I think we’re seeing multiple incidents this year where even with Brazil we’re supposed to do our racing on track in between the white lines and the rules haven’t been clear from the stewards, that those things have been allowed, so that’s continued.
“From my understanding, I know that I can’t overtake someone and go off track and then keep the position but I think that’s well known between all us drivers but it doesn’t apply to one of us, I guess.”
‘CRAZY’
Lewis Hamilton has said that title rival Max Verstappen drives over the limit following an incredible Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
After the race, the seven-time world champion 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.”
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.
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.
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.
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