Will Max Verstappen ram into Lewis Hamilton? Jos Verstappen answers
Verstappen and Hamilton go into the final race in Abu Dhabi level on points
Max Verstappen will do "everything" to win the 2021 Formula 1 Drivers' championship title, according to his father Jos Verstappen, but the former F1 driver insists that his son will not look to collide with Lewis Hamilton to win the title.
The F1 Drivers' championship has come down to the wire in spectacular fashion with Verstappen and Hamilton heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi level on points after 21 races. The British driver's win and fastest lap of the race at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday puts them on level pegging with 369.5 points each with the Dutchman only ahead owing to having won one race more than his title rival.
The pressure is well and truly on Verstappen going into the final race, especially against a seasoned competitor like Hamilton. The Briton is no stranger to battling for the title at the final race, having done it on more than a few occasions during his illustrious career.
For Verstappen, it's all new, having never challenged for the F1 Drivers' championship thus far in his career. Because of the Dutchman's one added race win over his rival, the question about the possibility of the duo colliding in the final race is not one that can be ignored.
The question was put to Jos following the incident-filled Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which saw Verstappen land a 15-second penalty on his way to second place. The Dutch racer's father insisted that a Prost-Senna type incident is not something on Verstappen's mind, but he "will do everything" to try and bring home the title.
"I don't think that will happen," Jos Verstappen told the Daily Mail, when asked if Verstappen could try and settle the title dispute before the end of the race in Abu Dhabi.
"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," he added.
Hamilton and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff were quick to blast Verstappen for his "over the limit" driving at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which saw the two title protagonists make contact on Lap 37. The crash was not catastrophic as both drivers went on to finish the race, but the gloves are certainly off, and neither driver is likely to cede position if it gets close in Abu Dhabi.
The season finale at the Yas Marina circuit gets underway with first practice on Friday, Dec 10. The race gets underway on Sunday, Dec 12 at 1 p.m. BST.
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