Autobayng News Team
Max Verstappen acknowledged deliberately slowing Lando Norris in tomorrow’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix could give him a chance to win the world championship.
Lewis Hamilton attempted to do the same to Nico Rosberg in the 2016 finale at the same circuit, but he was unsuccessful.
Verstappen needs to win tomorrow’s race with Norris finishing no higher than fourth to clinch the championship. He will start from pole position, one place ahead of Norris.
Nine years ago Verstappen ran behind the Mercedes drivers as Hamilton tried to slow Rosberg down enough that others were able to overtake him. However Verstappen was unable to overtake Rosberg and was passed by Sebastian Vettel before the race ended.
The Red Bull driver believes attempting to emulate Hamilton’s 2016 tactics would be harder to pull off now.
“It was a different layout,” Verstappen pointed out. “I feel like now you get towed around a lot more around the lap, so it’s probably not as easy to do something like that.”
The Yas Marina circuit was extensively revised in 2021, when several slow corners were replaced with quicker, simpler bends.
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The current cars are also wider and produce more drag than in 2016, and their tyres are more durable. Verstappen said today’s chassis are “completely different to back then.”
“I felt like it was a lot easier back then to back it up because the tyres would overheat a lot when you would get close,” he explained. “I remember in 2016, even in some qualifying laps you couldn’t go flat-out in sector one [in order] to keep the tyres alive in the last sector – [such as] here, for example.
“So [it was] very different times. I hope it’s not straightforward, the race, but hopefully that’s not because of me.”
Verstappen said he is prepared to go “all out” to clinch the title in the race.
“I have nothing to lose,” he said. “So for me, of course, I’m going to try to win the race.
“I’m going to defend, if I need to attack, I’ll attack, because what can happen? You’re either second or third – or you win. That would be fantastic.”
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2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
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- 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix strategy briefing: All the data to follow the race with
- Hamilton feeling “an unbearable amount of anger and rage” after another Q1 exit
- Russell expects ‘opportunities’ in race: ‘Max won’t let them finish one-two-three’
- Verstappen says backing Norris into rivals in race would be harder than in 2016
