“The emotions are running very, very high” – Toto Wolff is hoping a collision between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen does not decide the fate of the 2021 Drivers’ championship.
For only the second time in Formula 1’s seven-decade-old history, the championship of drivers is tied with just the season finale to go.
The points are level at an incredible 369.5, with challenger Max Verstappen holding a slight advantage over reigning champion Lewis Hamilton, courtesy of a better win record of 9-8 races this season.
If both drivers suffer a DNF at the Yas Marina Circuit, we will have a new winner in the sport. And this is precisely what has led Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to suggest that a collision between the two (and/or involving teammates Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas) could decide the title winner.
“I would hope that [Sunday’s] race has enough repercussions that everybody’s going to learn from it and adapt for the final race.
“Similar driving, if it were to be deemed by the stewards as over the line, would then probably also be penalised in Abu Dhabi, and that could well end in a messy situation for everybody. I don’t think that the championship has deserved a result that was influenced by a collision.
“The emotions are running very, very high. As long as we have a clean race fighting for the drivers’ world championship in Abu Dhabi, it was a great season.
“We’re supposed to do our racing on track in between the white lines and the rules haven’t been clear from the stewards.
“From my understanding, I know that I can’t overtake someone and go off track and then keep the position. That’s well known between all us drivers but it doesn’t apply to one of us, I guess.”
