Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen criticised for actions during title battle

F1: Verstappen and Hamilton verbally spar

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Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have been criticised for their recklessness as they contend for the 2021 world title, according to former F1 driver Jean Alesi. Verstappen currently leads the championship after he finished second at the Turkish Grand Prix with Hamilton coming home P5.

The two rivals have endured a tremendous season filled with hard racing, ruthlessness and controversy.

After Hamilton clipped Verstappen and sent the Red Bull crashing out of Silverstone at 180mph, it was the Dutchman’s turn to be the protagonist at Monza.

The Brit came out the pits and took the inside line, forcing Verstappen wide as he refused to yield.

His Red Bull bounced aggressively off the kerb and landed on top of Hamilton’s Mercedes, with the seven-time world champion saved from serious injury by the halo.

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Even though Hamilton was able to continue and go on to win after the collision at Silverstone, both drivers were forced to retire in Monza.

The 36-year-old was left with a neck injury while Verstappen was awarded a three-place grid penalty ahead of the Russian Grand Prix, where Hamilton won his 100th race. 

While it was the second major collision between the duo, Alesi admitted the incident at Monza is the only moment which has bothered him in this title battle for the ages.

“We needed such a good challenge: otherwise we would have ended the era of these cars only with a domination of Mercedes and Lewis,” Alesi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

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“This year, however, it’s great to have every race and every qualifying so uncertain. The only thing I didn’t like was Monza, because it’s fine to fight, but they went too far there, both of them, and I don’t want to blame one or the other.

“I hope they continue to fight hard, but in a fair way, and that it lasts until the end, until the last race.”

Alesi has noticed an improvement in the attitude of Verstappen, and he believes the Dutchman is avoiding risky moves so late in the season. 

Verstappen leads Hamilton by just six points entering the final six races and Alesi cannot decide on who he believes will come out on top.

The only thing he knows for certain is that the champion wins on the track rather than through reliability issues.

“For me they both deserve this title, so my prediction is balanced, fifty-fifty,” Alesi revealed.

“The only thing I hope is that reliability does not decide the championship, and there is a danger of that. Both have already put in the fourth engine, which will have to do six GPs, plus a sprint race in Brazil.

“And they’ll all be races to the death: Hamilton was used to being able to draw breath, now he knows that neither he nor Max will be able to do so.

“And so grip could become an unknown: it would be a shame if one were to win because of the other’s retirement. I’d like to see a sprint all the way to Abu Dhabi.”

Formula 1 returns to Texas for the United States Grand Prix on October 24, with Red Bull’s Verstappen holding a slender six-point lead over Hamilton.

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