Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton will race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in a winner takes it all clash on Sunday. In the 21 races this season, the two have scored 369.5 points each with 17 and 16 podiums respectively.
Moments that defined their rivalry this year:
Max Verstappen scored a thumping with at the Emilia Romagna GP:
Verstappen’s first win of the season came in Italy. The Dutch, in a car much faster than Mercedes, recovered from half a spin following a red flag to finish first eventually. Hamilton, on the other hand, slid into the barriers at half-distance to come second.
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Frustration at Baku:
In a rare instance, Hamilton failed to take full advantage of Verstappen’s tire exploding on a the 200mph straight. The seven-time champion led he grid when the race restarted but knocked a switch to activate his ‘brake magic’ function. The Mercedes overshot the first corner finished at a lowly 15th.
An ugly affair at Silverstone
Hamilton won his home Grand Prix but the rivalry had turned real ugly by then. Verstappen came to the UK with three consecutive wins and was likely to ace Silverstone.
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However, in the first lap the and Hamilton collided. The Dutch had to make a trip to the hospital for precautionary checks. The Mercedes driver, meanwhile, won the race with a 10-second time penalty.
Another collision in Italy:
Midway through the race, while battling for position, rear of Verstappen’s car landing on Hamilton’s Mercedes. Both of them retired, beached in the gravel.
This time Max Verstappen was predominantly to blame” and handed a three-place grid penalty by stewards for the next race.
Saudi drama:
Hamilton and Verstappen have traded title leads seven times this season. In Saudi Arabia, the race was stopped twice.
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Verstappen, in the final laps, was told to give back a position to Hamilton that he had gained illegally. The Mercedes driver rushed into the back of the Red Bull, prompting team principal Toto Wolff to slam his headphones to the floor in frustration
Hamilton was able to continue but Verstappen did not give back the position until six laps later. The Brit won the race and the Dutch came second.