Lewis Hamilton v Max Verstappen "the title race that keeps on giving" - Brawn

Hamilton, Verstappen, Qatar, F1 — Photo: © LAT Images

Hamilton vs Verstappen

Hamilton v Verstappen "the title race that keeps on giving" - Brawn

Just eight points separate the two drivers

GPFans Staff

Tuesday 23 November 2021 13:39

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Ross Brawn has hailed this season's F1 clash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen as "the title race that keeps on giving".

Back-to-back victories for Hamilton for the first time since the early part of the year have propelled the Mercedes driver to within eight points of his Red Bull rival.

With just two races remaining in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, the destiny of the title cannot be called, although Verstappen does have a first shot at winning it at the new-to-F1 Jeddah Street Circuit in early December.

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Describing Hamilton's recent weekend in Qatar as "beautiful", F1 managing director motorsports Brawn added: "He dialled into the track very quickly and delivered the kind of accomplished performance in qualifying that we have come to expect.

"On race day, he didn’t put a foot wrong and very much deserved that win. It’s left the championship even more finely poised than it was before.

"What’s great about this championship is we have this ebb and flow. We had a period where you thought Red Bull were going to run away with it and then Mercedes came back.

"There are just eight points in it with two races and a maximum of 52 on the table. It’s the title race that keeps on giving."

Verstappen start poses question for Brawn

From Brawn's perspective, he feels Verstappen performed admirably in battling back from a five-place grid penalty handed out 90 minutes before the start of the race at the Losail International Circuit that dropped him from second to seventh.

The Dutch driver quickly scythed his way back to second, finishing runner-up behind Hamilton and importantly also claiming the fastest-lap point.

Via his regular post-race F1 column, Brawn added: "Max had a great race as well.

"I had the feeling Lewis had this under control, but who knows? With the start Max made, had that come from the front row of the grid rather than further back, we could have seen a closer contest.

"These are the little things at this stage of the championship that are going to tip the balance.

"It was damage limitation for Max and he did the best job he could have imagined from seventh on the grid, after that five-place grid penalty for a yellow flag infringement."