Lewis Hamilton clinched his seventh Formula One world championship in Turkey last year while Max Verstappen had a race to forget, but this time the title remains wide open and the Dutch driver could be the one celebrating on Sunday.
Only two points separate Mercedes’ championship leader Hamilton from his Red Bull rival with six races left after Istanbul and the battle set to go down to the wire, reports Reuters.
One mistake, one retirement — whether a mechanical failure or collision — would be a massive blow at this stage in the season and Hamilton may yet have to take a new engine and penalty.
Verstappen turned 24 last week and an eighth win of the season would put him back on top after Hamilton, 36, seized the advantage in Russia two weeks ago with his 100th career victory.
Verstappen has been on pole eight times this year to Hamilton’s three and narrowly missed out on the top slot in Turkey last year.
BNA News
