Hamilton not concerned about Verstappen collision in Abu Dhabi decider

By Sports Desk December 09, 2021

Lewis Hamilton is not concerned about colliding with Max Verstappen in the decisive Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as he prepares to go "full steam ahead" in his quest to make history.

Hamilton and Verstappen will start the last race of the Formula One season at the Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday level on points in a captivating battle for the title.

Tensions between the defending champion and Red Bull's Verstappen heightened further in a chaotic Saudi Arabia Grand Prix last weekend, which Hamilton won to set up a thrilling finale.

Verstappen was penalised five seconds for leaving the track to gain an advantage and another 10 for causing a collision with Hamilton.

Hamilton accused the Dutchman of going "over the limit" after their latest clashes in Jeddah, while Verstappen said when they faced the media on Thursday that the Mercedes man had gone down in his estimations this season.

Verstappen will be crowned champion for the first time if Hamilton fails to pick up as many points as him due to winning more races this season and the 24-year-old said he will do "whatever is necessary" to win the title.

But Briton Hamilton is not giving any thought to the prospect of missing out on a record eighth title due to another collision.

Asked about the possibility of that happening, Hamilton said: "No, I honestly don't give it any energy.

"I'm here to do the best job I can with this incredible team and going back again, we never thought we'd be neck and neck going into the last race; we've had an amazing recovery collectively as a team and we've been in a great position these last few races.

"So, we go full steam ahead with that focus, and we don't waste energy on things that are out of our control.

"I think at the end of the day, I do believe that everyone here racing comes to win, I would like to believe everyone wants to do it the right way. So, I don't even let that creep into my mind."

Hamilton is sticking with the mindset that he is "the hunter" rather than a history-chasing defending champion.

"At the moment it just feels like another championship to me, I don't look at it as another multiple," he said. "I just look at it every season and every year from ground zero, you're the hunter and you're fighting from the moment you start training.

"The moment you get into the new year you're focused on training and winning. I don't turn up with ‘Number One’ on my car, I turn up with Number 44, I don't consider myself the one that's fighting for a championship."

Verstappen topped the podium in Abu Dhabi last year to halt Mercedes' run of six consecutive victories at this race, but Hamilton is hopeful the Silver Arrows can maintain the standards that have seen him win three races in a row to reel Verstappen in.

He said: "They won here last year. So without doubt they're going to be strong this weekend. But we've chased and caught up a lot and I think we can come here and be strong this weekend."

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    Max Verstappen claimed that his Red Bull felt like "driving on ice" after struggling in Friday practice ahead of his potential coronation at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. 

    Verstappen entered the weekend hoping to leave with a fourth world title, but a fifth and 17th place finish in the opening practice sessions suggested it would be far from easy. 

    The Dutchman posted a soft-tyre lap just before Alex Albon caused a red flag midway through the second session, with Verstappen unable to improve on his time after that. 

    It left him two seconds off the pace set by the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton, revealing that the cold temperatures had an effect on his tyres. 

    "For me, it feels massively tyre-related. The balance of the car is not even wrong, I think," he said. "We just have no grip, like driving on ice at the moment."

    “Yeah, [it was] slippery. I think we struggled a lot with making the tyres work, over one lap especially.

    “The long run I think started off a bit more competitive, but even there I think we need to fine-tune a few things. The one-lap pace is quite far off.

    “It’s quite unique conditions around here, and it’s very cold, but at the end of the day it’s the same for everyone, so we need to try and understand what we’re doing wrong."

    Red Bull were down in the speed traps and Helmut Marko revealed the team had the wrong rear wing which has put them on the back foot.

    However, after topping the timesheets in both practice sessions, Hamilton was left mystified by Mercedes’ surprisingly strong pace after a poor showing in Interlagos last time out.

    The seven-time world champion clocked the fastest lap of the day as drivers up and down the grid struggled to extract performance around the low-grip track.

    His team-mate George Russell was similarly impressive, finishing in P2 and P3 across the two sessions to indicate that Mercedes are the team to beat this weekend. 

    “I mean that’s the first time I’ve had a day like that this year. The car was feeling generally good in FP1, in FP2 less so," Hamilton said. 

    “Difficult to know exactly where we are or why we are where we are but really enjoying driving the track and I think we’ll see whether the car is the same tomorrow.

    “The race pace is not that great so the work we have to do overnight is to figure out how to have better race pace without losing actual pace throughout the lap.

    "But it was nice to get like consecutive sectors, and the car not throwing me off which was nice."

  • Piastri aiming for win in Las Vegas with Norris title chances looking slim Piastri aiming for win in Las Vegas with Norris title chances looking slim

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    While it is still mathematically possible that Norris could catch Max Verstappen – who will secure a fourth successive title by bettering the Brit this weekend – his chances are slim.

    As a result of Norris' title bid, Piastri had been under orders to prioritise his team-mate above himself. But with McLaren leading Ferrari in the constructors' championship by 36 points, it is likely focus will shift there.

    "There's still some, let's say, very specific scenarios where I might be needed to help out. But for the very large majority of situations, it's back to how it was," Piastri told reporters in Las Vegas.

    "The drivers' championship picture is very slim, and the constructors' championship is certainly not over for us.

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    Ahead of his potential coronation, Verstappen struggled on the first day of practice in Las Vegas, finishing in 17th.

    Norris, meanwhile, was second-fastest behind Lewis Hamilton. Piastri finished in eighth, although bizarrely reported that his car would not turn off after reaching the pit lane, although the issue was eventually resolved.

    Separately from Piastri, Norris had told reporters that – despite previous orders for Piastri to let him pass in races – the team had always come first and that would not change.

    "Everything we've done, we've just swapped a position," he said.

    "It benefited me because I was in the fight for the championship and that's the game we also have to play, just as I've helped Oscar in a few occasions and helped him win in Baku, you know. I did my job there.

    "I think Andrea [Stella] made it very clear from the beginning that we would never do something that would make the team result worse. So no, nothing is going to change."

  • Norris believes he has 'what it takes’ for future world title after Verstappen battle Norris believes he has 'what it takes’ for future world title after Verstappen battle

    Lando Norris believes he has what it takes to challenge for a world title in the future after his battle with Max Verstappen during the 2024 season. 

    Norris arrives at the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend 62 points behind Verstappen, knowing a win is a must if he is to keep his faint world championship hopes alive. 

    Verstappen and Red Bull started the campaign as they left off last year, only for Norris and McLaren to emerge as genuine contenders after a series of car developments.

    On a dramatic weekend in Brazil, Norris reduced the Dutchman's advantage to 44 points by winning in the Sprint race, but that victory proved to be in vain. 

    Despite starting 17th on the grid, Verstappen regained his sizeable margin with a stunning wet weather performance, and can clinch a fourth world title in Sin City this weekend. 

    When asked what he had learned from this season, Norris said: “That I have what it takes. It’s the first time in the last six years of F1 that we’ve had a chance to fight at the front.

    "This is our, and my, first opportunity to do so, and my first opportunity to see where I stand.

    “I definitely was not at the level I needed to be at the beginning of the year, even [after beating Verstappen to a maiden win] in Miami.

    "Since the summer break I feel like I’ve done a very good job and performed very, very well – by far some of my best performances that I’ve done.

    “I’ve been very happy with how the last few months have gone, honestly. I wouldn’t change many things that have happened.

    "I still need to make tweaks and I still need to improve on things, that’s clear. I’m not completely satisfied with how I’ve done and I definitely know I need to make improvements.

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    "When you’re competing against drivers who are close to that, like Max, you have to be close to perfect if you want to challenge him.”

    Despite Norris' disappointment, this weekend marks an opportunity for McLaren to edge closer to a first constructors' championship since 1998. 

    The British-based team are currently 36 points ahead of Ferrari at the top of the standings with two races and a sprint remaining this season. 

    McLaren have 19 podiums in 2024, their best record in a campaign since 2007 (24). In only four years have they achieved more (20 in 1998, 22 in 2000, 24 in 2007 and 25 in 1988), though Norris insisted the battle was far from over.

    “Ferrari have been strong for a long time,” said Norris. “They have two very good drivers, they’re a very good team, they’ve clearly improved their car a good amount and found a better direction to head down.

    “They probably will be with us. Some races are a bit better, some races a little bit behind, some races the same as a competition. Maybe [the momentum is] a little bit with them, but we’re close. Red Bull are close at the same time.

    “It’s more about who can do a better performance on a weekend. We do know that Vegas is probably a track that will suit the Ferraris a bit more.

    "It suited them well last year, but we know Qatar will be more favourable to us.”

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