Lewis Hamilton applied his ‘poker face’ on Thursday ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when he will attempt to claim an unprecedented eighth world title. Title rival Max Verstappen, meanwhile, said he hoped that the championship would not be settled by “controversial decisions” by the stewards.Hamilton heads into Sunday’s season finale after three successive Grand Prix victories put him level on points with Red Bull’s Verstappen. A sixth win in 12 years at the Yas Marina Circuit would give the Briton the title.”Obviously with the year that we’ve had, I am sure many people would have ruled us out being this close right at the end,” said Hamilton, 36, during Thursday’s pre-race press conference.”It’s been an incredible group effort from everyone back at the factory and at the track. “No one has ever done eight before but I feel grateful.”Hamilton wins controversy laden Saudi Arabian GP to close gap on VerstappenHamilton, who was 23 when he won his first title in 2008 empathised with the 24-year-old Verstappen who is bidding for his first title. “I remember what it’s like going for your first, so I know. I had those experiences and the rollercoaster of emotions that you go through,” he said.The young Dutchman won comfortably in Abu Dhabi a year ago although Hamilton had already wrapped up the title by then.”I wasn’t 100 per cent that weekend,” said Hamilton.”But, still, they (Red Bull) were very, very strong here last year and they will be strong here again this weekend.”Verstappen was cautious about his hopes of repeating that success and taking the crown on Sunday.”After last year, I didn’t have a lot of hope that we would be sitting here at the end of the season fighting for a title,” he said. “But I think from the start, we were very competitive. We had good results, a bit of bad luck as well. But overall we can be really proud of the whole team effort.”A race full of twists and turns & emotion! The outcome of the championship will be decided in Abu Dhabi at the last Grand Prix of the season.#F1 #SaudiArabianGP 🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/KTksZYNHS8— Jean Todt (@JeanTodt) December 5, 2021 Changes to make the Yas Marina circuit faster and wider could reduce lap time by up to 15 seconds and that could favour Mercedes and their new ‘spicy’ engine.”I think the places where we were particularly weak are no longer there, so that’s positive,” said Hamilton”But they (Red Bull) will still be strong in the new places.”With more space to pass, the race should not suffer as many safety car interventions or red flags as last week’s chaotic contest in Jeddah, which also brought the latest in a catalogue of incidents between the two leaders this season.At Silverstone, Verstappen ended up in the crash barriers. At Monza his Red Bull went airborne and landed on top of Hamilton’s Mercedes. In Saudi Arabia, Verstappen was ordered to give up the lead to Hamilton for an illegal manoeuvre and handed a five-second penalty.That prompted suggestions, not least from former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, that the stewards were favouring Mercedes. Both drivers played down the possibility that the title might be decided by the stewards.”I think already, throughout the year, there have been a few things which were maybe a bit controversial,” said Verstappen.”It is what it is. You can’t really do anything about it. I think we just have to focus on the positive for this weekend. We just want action on the track. “I think from both sides we want to win clearly and it should be about that, not about controversial decisions.”#F1: Happy last race week! Pirelli have chosen the compounds for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and we’re going softest in the range: White C3, Medium C4 and Soft C5. pic.twitter.com/CrPryBEz4c— deni (@fiagirly) December 6, 2021 Hamilton, who shares the record of seven titles with Michael Schumacher, welcomed race director Michael Masi’s warning about driving standards.In his routine pre-race official notes, Masi signalled that the FIA will not tolerate the kind of deliberate ‘foul’ that has decided past championships.If neither man finishes, Verstappen will take the title because he has won more races. “It’s happened in the past obviously and I am sure the stewards then hadn’t taken the precautions they have this time around,” said Hamilton.”I think it’s fair that they do it and, hopefully, they won’t need to be used and we have a great race.” “I’m here to do my job and don’t really want to see the stewards and they don’t want to see me.”Brilliant move by @SkySportsF1 to share their live coverage of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with @C4F1 in the UK on Sunday. Some events demand the biggest audience possible and this is one of them 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/3UTe7So5HE— Kevin Palmer (@RealKevinPalmer) December 9, 2021 Verstappen continued his criticism of Formula One rules and officials on Thursday ahead of the title showdown in Abu Dhabi, saying he has been singled out for sanctions.The Dutchman was penalised twice in last Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and said he is punished for his driving style and that others, who drive in the same aggressive and unforgiving way, are not.He also claimed that Masi’s official pre-race warning about driving standards and possible sanctions was intended to apply for him alone in a race which Verstappen and Hamilton start level on points atop the driver standings.”Well, clearly, these don’t apply for everyone,” he said. “That’s because the things I did in terms of defending, two other guys, in terms of racing, also did, and they didn’t even get a mention, or penalty.”I don’t understand because I thought I was just racing hard. What happened, for me, didn’t deserve any penalty. Really, the other two people who did it, they didn’t get one.”It’s only me who gets it and, of course, fighting up the front, people were more critical, I guess. For me, I don’t understand…”His abrasive stance and mood ahead of Sunday’s title decider demonstrated that he had not reconciled himself to last weekend’s events or the widespread paddock perception that he had gone ‘over the top’.Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton could face a points deduction or suspension if they intentionally take out the other to win the championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.This could be interesting 🔥#F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/UGZLhij6xu— Ochi (@soo_ochieng) December 9, 2021 Verstappen was handed a five-second penalty for running wide at Turn One and 10 seconds for an incident that was perceived as him ‘brake-testing’ Hamilton when trying to slow to allow him to pass, as demanded by the race officials.He was most aggrieved that he was punished for running wide at Turn One, during one of his skirmishes with Hamilton in a race of intense wheel to wheel racing.”For me, I was not wrong…And clearly, only I was wrong, somehow!” he said. “Other people did exactly the same thing and they get nothing because both of us are off the track.”We’re outside of the white line into Turn One and somehow they judged that it was my fault, which I don’t agree with. The other penalty as well, I don’t agree with – and then afterwards, he pushes me off the track.”The Dutchman referred to the move late in the race when he was passed by Hamilton who pressed the Red Bull off at the final corner. This incident resulted in Masi issuing a warning to Mercedes about Hamilton’s driving.Breaking news… Abu Dhabi Grand Prix extends deal to 2030.#F1 #Formula1 #Formula1GrandPrix #AbuDhabiGrandPrix pic.twitter.com/fE5cbykc5T— FerdaSports (@ferda_sports) December 9, 2021 Verstappen was incensed and revealed that he saw Hamilton look at him as he forced him out.”He even looked at me and he just doesn’t turn in – he pushed me outside of the white line at the track edge and he only gets a warning UAE for that,” he said.”So, it’s definitely not how it should be and it’s also not fair because it seems like other drivers can do different things and it seems like only I get a penalty.”At the end of the day, criticism is always there, but I think, for myself, what isn’t fair is that I’m just treated differently than other drivers.”Other drivers can clearly get away with it, but I can’t. That’s a bit of a problem.” © Agence France-Presse
