It has certainly been a wild F1 season for everyone, thanks to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. The duo’s on-track battles have been quite a sight to behold, with adrenaline-pumping wheel-to-wheel racing throughout the year.
The penultimate Saudi Arabian Grand Prix injected spice into this rather bitter-sweet duel. Verstappen and Hamilton endured a couple of close calls earlier in the race and but their luck ran out thin on lap 38 as they crashed into each other.
Michael Masi, who had been policing the matters until that point had to pave way for the stewards who ultimately punished Verstappen with a 10-second time penalty and 2 penalty points. Since then, neither the fans nor the media have been easy on the Dutchman.
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Accusations have been pouring in, with many framing Verstappen as a dirty driver. However, Boxing champion, Tyson Fury, has come in defense of the Red Bull driver. Although the Briton restricted himself from assigning blame for the Jeddah incidents, he opined that the media indeed has treated Verstappen terribly.
What did Tyson Fury say?
Fury, who is set to face Dillian Whyte in the title-defending fight, reckoned that Verstappen is a young and ambitious driver who has a title within his reach. Hence, the Briton demanded that the media give him a break and let the two title-contenders fight it out.
“I’ve just been reading up a bit on the F1 rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen and how Max is portrayed in the media as a bit of a ‘bad boy’.
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“I know how it feels to be treated terribly by the media. It’s not nice, you know, especially when you’re young and ambitious and you want to win. Give him a bit of a break. He’s doing his best,” he said on his Instagram story according to DailyMail.
“This rivalry reminds me of James Hunt and Niki Lauda vying for the title. Who is going to win it guys? Good luck to both men at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Come on guys!”
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The title showdown is less than a week away. To many, this battle is giving vibes of the 2010 and 2012 title rivalries between Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. Who is ultimately going to clinch it? Are we set to witness the resurgence of Red Bull? Or will Mercedes continue to hold the throne?
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