Ex F1 Boss Bernie Ecclestone Says Hamilton Is Bullying Verstappen After Abu Dhabi
8 Dec 2021, 17:27 UTC
by Sebastian Toma
In the second-to-last race of this year's Formula 1 season, the fight for the driver's championship title has reached another level. A clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton made the rounds across the world. Bernie Ecclestone, the former chief of Formula 1, has shared his view with the media.
According to Bernie Ecclestone, it is not just the fans who are upset. In an interview with AFP and quoted by The Sun, Ecclestone stated that both Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton were "bullying Max Verstappen," and the British driver and his team are "not playing fair," as the former boss of Formula 1 told AFP in an exclusive interview.
Long story short, Verstappen was told to give Hamilton his place back after an incident that almost resulted in a crash. Upon receiving the instruction to give the position to Hamilton through the radio, the Dutch driver slowed down, and that caused a collision with the seven-time world champion. Verstappen was then given a penalty by the stewards for causing a collision
Lewis Hamilton had insisted that Verstappen "brake-tested him," while the Dutch pilot stuck to his claim that he simply let driver 44 go past him.
In the interview with AFP, Ecclestone stated that "Max is a kid compared to Lewis, and the worst thing is Lewis has a massive publicity campaign working for him." Ecclestone accused the Mercedes-AMG F1 team of being bullish to Max Verstappen, both on and off the track.
In Bernie Ecclestone's view, Hamilton and his team are also playing a psychological game, not just racing, while this year brought the first car to challenge Mercedes's lead in the championship.
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/e...bi-176056.html
MAX VERSTAPPEN
Hakkinen: I don't believe Verstappen 'brake tested' Hamilton
8th Dec 2021, 12:50
The clash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix continues to be a talking point. Mika Hakkinen has called the incident "dangerous", but disagrees with Hamilton's claim that Verstappen "brake tested" him.
Mika Hakkinen admits that the collision between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was "dangerous", but does not believe that Verstappen was trying to brake test his title rival.
The incident happened on Lap 37 when Verstappen slowed to yield position to Hamilton following an illegal overtake. Hamilton was seemingly confused by the situation and ran into the back of the Red Bull driver.
Following a stewards' investigation after the Grand Prix, Verstappen was handed a 10-second time penalty for the incident, though this did not affect his finishing position of second.
https://racingnews365.com/hakkinen-i...ested-hamilton
Lewis Hamilton ‘bullying’ Max Verstappen and ‘not playing fair’, Bernie Ecclestone claims
Hamilton has won three races in a row as his title race with Verstappen goes down to the wire in Abu Dhabi this weekend
Jamie Braidwood
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-b1972030.html
Lewis Hamilton v Max Verstappen: Ecclestone criticises Brit & Toto Wolff for 'psychological game playing'
By George Dagless
Published: 08 Dec 2021, 13:00
Our two protagonists go into the final race level on points after a superb resurgence from Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, too, but former F1 supremo Ecclestone thinks that that side of the title fight has perhaps not always played fair in recent weeks:
"Max is a kid compared to Lewis and the worst thing is Lewis has a massive publicity campaign working for him," Ecclestone told AFP.
"They have been pushing down all the time on Max and then the race directors have been looking in because Toto goes to the race director.
"Max has more than a race to confront as he has them too on his back because they are bullying him and not playing fair.
"It is psychological game playing."
"Max has had a few years of racing but has not had years in the streets like Lewis," said Ecclestone.
"It has built character and knowing he would win the race with Mercedes being the dominant force over the past few years has made him a much stronger character than Max.
"For Max, this season is the first one he has had a car capable of winning regularly whereas before it was nothing like competitive."
https://www.givemesport.com/1799133-...l-game-playing
Bernie Ecclestone tears into Lewis Hamilton over Max Verstappen treatment
LEWIS HAMILTON and Max Verstappen collided at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday.
By Tom Parsons
11:16, Wed, Dec 8, 2021 | UPDATED: 18:04, Wed, Dec 8, 2021
And former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone believes Verstappen is getting a raw deal from his nemesis.
“Max is a kid compared to Lewis and the worst thing is Lewis has a massive publicity campaign working for him,” Ecclestone told AFP.
“They have been pushing down all the time on Max and then the race directors have been looking in because Toto goes to the race director.
“Max has more than a race to confront as he has them too on his back because they are bullying him and not playing fair.
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...-Bull-Mercedes
Ecclestone: Mercedes bullying Verstappen and not playing fair
AFP
8 December, 2021
2021 Formula 1 World Title challenger Max Verstappen has been bullied by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team this season, the sport’s former big boss Bernie Ecclestone told AFP ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale on Sunday.
Verstappen and Hamilton are tied on points after a controversy packed Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and Ecclestone believes the pressure by Mercedes “psychological game-playing” has had a significant bearing on the Title race.
Ecclestone – who over several decades transformed the sport into a global multi-billion-dollar commercial giant – said Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff and Hamilton were “not playing fair.”
It certainly appears to have had an impact on the 24-year-old Dutch driver.
Back in July Verstappen had built up a 32-point lead but the momentum is now back at Mercedes with Hamilton driving like a man with an unprecedented eighth World Championship in his sights.
“Max is a kid compared to Lewis and the worst thing is Lewis has a massive publicity campaign working for him,” Ecclestone told AFP by phone from his home in Ibiza.
Max has had a few years of racing but has not had years in the streets like Lewis
“They have been pushing down all the time on Max and then the race directors have been looking in because Toto goes to the race director. Max has more than a race to confront as he has them too on his back because they are bullying him and not playing fair. It is psychological game playing.”
Ecclestone, 91, says if it comes down to mind games Hamilton is in the stronger position: “Max has had a few years of racing but has not had years in the streets like Lewis.
“It has built character and knowing he would win the race with Mercedes being the dominant force over the past few years has made him a much stronger character than Max.
“For Max, this season is the first one he has had a car capable of winning regularly whereas before it was nothing like competitive.”
https://www.grandprix247.com/2021/12...-prix-preview/