Verstappen concedes to 'unusual' F1 showdown 'nerves'

Max Verstappen has conceded to being "nervous" ahead of his F1 title showdown with Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen scored his maiden F1 championship crown after a controversial last-lap shootout following a late-race safety car period.

In the lead up to the event, Verstappen had presented himself with a stoic exterior but speaking to CarNext, the Dutchman conceded his inside feelings had been far from a match to this.

“Normally I’m not nervous for any race at all but in Abu Dhabi I was," said Verstappen.

"I know that my mum is always nervous. It doesn’t matter if I’m doing a qualifying or a race, she always has to go to the toilet many times during the race, but everyone was tense and just looking forward to the race."

After the chequered flag fell, Verstappen revealed he had been suffering from cramps in the latter stages of the race.

Expanding on this, the Red Bull driver explained: “The race itself was not looking great. We didn’t have the pace but then of course everything just went upside down in that last lap.

“That last lap for me also, you see me doing the move and everything but I had this cramp, so all the time when I was going full-throttle, I almost couldn’t go full-throttle because my leg was really, really painful.

“So I had to also deal with that in the last lap.

“Everything just came together. Also, when you’re very tense your muscles just cramp up and it was very tough.”

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