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Anyone who's been to Formula 1 in the last two seasons is expecting Max Verstappen to catch fire, but his last model is something else.
Force India star Esteban Ocon spoiled his chance of winning in Brazil by coming up against him late in the race and knocking the 21-year-old into serious trouble.
Verstappen, furious, confronted the 22-year-old and pushed him in front of a camera before launching a scathing attack on the Frenchman at the post-race press conference.
He later claimed that Ocon – who recently became a reserve driver for Mercedes – would not have acted so recklessly if he had found himself wheel in the wheel with championship winner Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen enjoyed two days of public service for the FIA as a punishment for his terrible explosion in Brazil, but the Dutchman said he would not be happy if his job was not "appropriate".
"I'm certainly not going to look ridiculous," Verstappen said after the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
"I think that anyway I am already very difficult to deal with, so we will find something appropriate, because I will not look silly."
Surprisingly, Verstappen admitted that the FIA allowed him, as well as Red Bull, to discuss the method of punishment. But that does not seem to be enough to soften the deal for the burning star.
"We will discuss, between the team and the FIA, what we are going to do," he said via Motorsport.com.
"If I agree, it does not really matter, right? What can you do there? I find it a little hard but yes … we will find a solution. "
Huh.
Verstappen will be at the helm of Ferrari and Mercedes next season with Daniel Ricciardo on the loose and a brand new Honda engine under the hood.
He lost his chance to be the youngest pole-sitter in Abu Dhabi after a disappointing qualifying weekend, but the young Dutchman could be as good as anyone else to become the youngest champion of the sport if the stars align in 2019.
Despite some retired retirements, Verstappen was successful in his 2018 season and finished fourth in the championship race with 249 points in his name, finally leading Ricciardo after three seasons alongside the Australian.
Under the leadership of Pierre Gasly as Verstappen's lineup in 2019, Red Bull is on the verge of an exciting era as he struggles to reclaim his former glory of the early decade when Sebastian Vettel swept the field with four championships.
HAMILTON MISAILLE OF THE MAX ATTACK
Holder of five titles, Lewis Hamilton, expects Verstappen to be at the height of next season's championship bout.
Hamilton won the 11th Grand Prix of his winning campaign with a dominant performance at the last race in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, and was celebrated behind the scenes at a Guns N 'Roses concert.
The Mercedes star will visit his traditional winter training base in Colorado, where he will take stock of a remarkable season that has brought him to two titles in Michael Schumacher's record of seven flights. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who defeated Hamilton in the championship with two sets to go, will be among his rivals again in 2019, while the Briton also backed Verstappen to a big place.
The Red Bull rider has had a bad start to the year, but finished in style, recording five consecutive podium finishes, finishing third in the Yas Marina circuit ahead of his Australian teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who will start before move to Renault in 2019..
"Max has done very well all year," Hamilton said.
"He has been consistent this year and has come here a few times with us. If his team does the work and provides a platform for him to compete with us even more, he will of course be in the fight next year. Many expected the Hamilton battle with Vettel to come to an end after Ferrari's strong start. to the year.
But the German fell to the floor after a series of mistakes and finished the campaign just 88 points from Hamilton and with only one victory since the summer break, during the Belgian Grand Prix in August.
The rivals exchanged their helmets after Sunday's race, and Vettel told Hamilton: "Five championships are a great success, but I hope I'll stop you from getting more." I need some time for me. It has been a pretty difficult and exhausting year for me, and I definitely need a bit of a gap until next season.
"I do not think I ever had a problem raising my hand if I made a mistake. So I have to go through some mistakes. Here and there, I was not at my best, so I have to look at myself. I can be better than I was sometimes this year. Hamilton will receive his championship trophy at the FIA Awards Ceremony in St Petersburg, Russia, one week Friday.
– with AAP
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