"If everything goes fairly" - Max Verstappen will congratulate Lewis Hamilton on 1 condition

Max Verstappen commented on the probable outcome of his rivalry with Lewis Hamilton ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Thursday.

The Dutchman said he would congratulate Hamilton post the main race on Sunday only if the Briton won fairly.

The first-time contender also spoke about the inconsistencies the stewards have shown while dishing out penalties.

The controversy between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton reached an all-time high last Sunday after Verstappen illegally overtook Hamilton on one of the numerous safety car restarts. He was subsequently asked to give the position back to the Briton, choosing to do so on the long back straight just before the DRS detection line, resulting in an allegedly confused Hamilton running into the back of his Red Bull RB16B.

The controversy stirred up immensely thereon, with both drivers calling out the other for dangerous driving.

In a drivers' press interview on Thursday for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen was asked whether he would congratulate Hamilton if the Briton wins on Sunday.

He replied affirmatively, on the condition that:

"If everything goes fairly, for sure."

On the subject of fairness, Max Verstappen was asked whether Red Bull still had doubts about the legality of the Mercedes car, which was a cause for concern for Christian Horner and Helmut Marko earlier on in the season. He said:

"Well, of course, checks will always be carried out. Unfortunately, we can't check how the car was in previous races in the season because there were definitely some things that were going on. But yeah, I guess it is what it is."

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Max Verstappen holds a slight advantage over Lewis Hamilton despite equal points

Lewis Hamilton has successfully leveled the playing field between himself and rival Max Verstappen heading into the final race of the season by winning the chaotic but thrilling Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last Sunday.

In the case of a double-DNF, however, for both title contenders at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen will automatically be crowned world champion as he has won more races this season compared to Hamilton, giving him a slight advantage heading into the finale.

Many fear the championship could be decided through an incident between the two drivers, like in the case of the epic 1989 title battle between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna.

Speaking about the incident, Verstappen said:

“I don’t really think about previous historic fights between two drivers, what they have done – that’s the past. I just focus on what I have to do on track and that’s to try and do the best I can, and that’s how at the end of the day you’re going to win the championship."

Regardless of which of the two drivers emerge victorious, the finale of the Abu Dhabi Grand Grix is set to be one of the greatest moments in F1 history. Catch the action live on Sunday as the dramatic season comes to a nail-biting end.