Max Verstappen SNUBS F1 rivals in shock break from tradition

verstappen, abu dhabi gp — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 News & Gossip

Verstappen SNUBS F1 rivals in shock break from tradition

It appears Max Verstappen didn't fancy carrying out one of his first duties as world champion

Becky Hart

Thursday 30 November 2023 21:57

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After 22 weekends of frantic racing and the world championship honours all handed out, all the drivers who made it to Abu Dhabi to compete in the final race of the season traditionally go for dinner together to celebrate another year all wrapped up.

But after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, race winner and now three-time world champion Max Verstappen was nowhere to be seen as his colleagues wined and dined together.

He wasn’t the only driver to miss out with Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez also elsewhere, but their absence wasn’t felt as keenly as there is reportedly an unwritten rule that the world champion picks up the tab.

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Which, given everyone is celebrating the end of the season, and thus able to break with their strict diet and exercise regimes, is usually sizeable.

The current world champion is reportedly supposed to pay the bill at the end of season dinner

Sebastian Vettel retired after last year's end of season dinner

Who picked up the tab?

It's believed Lewis Hamilton had to pay in 2021, with the Dutchman not in attendance after picking up his first world title – although he did at least attend in 2022.

And so it remains to be seen who picked up the bill this time around, with Hamilton likely to have the most robust bank balance of those in attendance, although Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo aren’t exactly struggling in that regard.

Although with Verstappen absent, there’s every chance they decided to 'go Dutch’ and split the bill...