Formula One’s annus mirabilis has the ending it deserves Lewis Hamilton And Max Verstappen Same points just before the weekend’s winners-take-all showdown in Abu Dhabi. Back in July Verstappen held a comfortable 32 points, but now the momentum is back at Mercedes, with Hamilton driving like a man who has an unprecedented eighth world championship. Britain’s victories against all odds in Brazil, the Qatar cruise and Sunday’s Saudi stunner mean title heroes go into the final race level by points for the first time since Emerson Fittipaldi and Clay Regazzoni in 1974.
Hamilton suggested to three-time former world champion Jackie Stewart that “he could have the best race ever” to emerge victorious from the chaos of a hot and sticky night in Jeddah.
The 36-year-old Briton and his Dutch rival, who is 12 years younger than him, have largely treated each other with respect.
But after 20 races, the equivalent of driving from New York to London, the pairing of Yas Marina appears to be at their lowest point with their relationship.
– ‘Mad Man’ –
Not for the first time in 2021 their cars touched on Sunday, with Hamilton accusing Verstappen of “brake-testing”.
“That guy’s a madman… it was just dangerous driving, man,” he said on team radio, later adding: “He’s definitely over the limit”.
Verstappen denied the covert strategy, saying he was trying to give back the lead as directed after illegally biting him as the Briton tried to overtake.
Hamilton hasn’t got where he stands at the door of F1 history this week, not with a cold head on his shoulders.
He added: “I’ve avoided confrontations with the guy on several occasions and I don’t always mind doing it because you live to fight another day, which I clearly did.”
His Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, noting the high stakes in the sport, expressed hope that the drivers’ crown will be decided by a clean fight at the track next Sunday.
“You saw events today that were very slow in Brazil. And we don’t want to do that in Abu Dhabi. The faster car with the faster driver should win the championship, not take off each other.” she added.
“And I don’t think the championship deserves an outcome that was affected by a collision,” he said, highlighting the infamous rivalry between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
A feud between Senna and Prost broke out in Japan in 1990 when Senna initially broke inside the Frenchman, taking both cars out, with the championship going to Brazil.
While title deciders are uncharted waters for Verstappen, Hamilton has been here several times before.
He lost by one point to Kimi Rikkönen in 2007, before regaining his first of seven titles 12 months later under dramatic circumstances.
Felipe Massa, trailing Hamilton by seven points, had to win his home race and Hamilton was to finish no higher than sixth.
And that was the situation when Massa took the checkered flag.
– ‘At a time’ –
The crown was his for a few seconds, only for Hamilton to cross the line in fifth to overtake Timo Glock at the final turn and take the championship by a whisker. bvefbef
If he manages to take away Michael Schumacher with eight F1 titles, Hamilton believes it will be “the most important”.
Then the stage is set, crowning either the man who has rewritten the record book of his game or the fearless young Dutch pretender who has pushed champions like no one before him.
“It’s all going down the wire, this is how the game should be and we love it,” Wolff said.
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For his counterpart at Red Bull, Christian Horner, “It’s a straight fight as it has been for a whole year.
“It’s great for the fans, it keeps the championship dream alive and we have a shot and it’s time to take it,” he said.
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