One of the greatest rivalries of all time kindled in Bahrain, 2021, with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen engaging in a thrilling battle for the win, and here we stand, 21 race weekends later, desperately awaiting the decisive race of the season, with both the title-contenders absolutely equal on points.
The intensity level is on a never-seen-before high, with prayers arriving from all around the world; one of them being Verstappen’s mother, Sophie Kumpen who posted a picture of lit candles on her Instagram story, hinting at her prayers for the Red Bull driver to clinch his first driver’s championship trophy.
Furthermore, the former F1 driver also had a heartwarming and morale-boosting message for her son ahead of his title showdown in Abu Dhabi.
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Sophie’s message for Max Verstappen
Sophie revealed the last candle she lit in her prayers for the Dutchman through a picture on social media. She further wrote, “This is the last for this season. Dear, Max Verstappen, whatever the outcome will be, you are my champion. You deserve this title. You make F1 so exciting again.
“Keep Pushing, never give up. Your biggest fan, mama.”
Similar to Sophie, Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, too, expressed his anxiety over the upcoming season finale at Yas Marina, recently in an interview.
Tough weekend ahead for Verstappen?
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Mentally? Yes. The Dutchman will be under an immense level of pressure, as he will be competing for the title for the very first time in his Formula 1 career. However, considering his father’s recent claim that Verstappen is looking at the Abu Dhabi GP as ‘just another race’, he certainly has the upper hand.
The Red Bull driver will be oozing with confidence amidst his dominant race victory in Abu Dhabi last year around. Verstappen absolutely crushed the Mercedes F1 duo, as neither Hamilton nor Bottas, were able to inch anywhere near the leading Red Bull.
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Hence, with such an ecstatic weekend in mind, Verstappen could well be looking to extend his Abu Dhabi GP dominance into this season as well. However, will Hamilton, who has been at a searing form, let Verstappen run away with the title with such ease?
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