"Lewis Hamilton simply can't afford to have an accident": Martin Brundle reveals why Max Verstappen has edge in F1 title battle

Former F1 driver and pundit Martin Brundle has commented on Lewis Hamilton's championship battle after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The F1 veteran feels the Mercedes driver will be very worried about a potential crash in the season finale in Abu Dhabi, which also happens to be the championship decider.

While Lewis Hamilton and title rival Max Verstappen are tied on points after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, in the case of a DNF for both drivers, the Dutchman would be crowned world champion as he has more race wins than the Briton.

Martin Brundle analyzed the situation in his column for Sky Sports F1, giving a complete rundown of the events that unfolded in Jeddah. Brundle wrote:

"Sporting regulations simply can't contain the way that Verstappen is choosing and needing to go racing at the moment. He's been playing the game given that, with his points advantage, Hamilton simply can't afford to have an accident with him and lose an opportunity to reduce the points deficit."

Brundle highlighted an important aspect of the ongoing season. There seems to be shrinking clarity about what constitutes a penalty in the sport. Lewis Hamilton was driven off track on Lap 48 of the Brazilian Grand Prix by Verstappen, who was not penalized for the incident. However, Verstappen received a time penalty and had to give the position back to Lewis Hamilton during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for a similar incident.

Martin Brundle went on to write:

"Such is Max's car control and cunning, he's sometimes able to pull off the audacious moves and leave a margin of doubt as to whether it's hard racing or simply a professional foul outside of the regulations."

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Max Verstapppen holds slight advantage over Lewis Hamilton at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

With Verstappen standing to win the title if both he and Lewis Hamilton fail to finish the season finale, some fear the race may feature an incident between the two drivers. 1996 world champion Damon Hill, who was denied the 1994 championship after an incident with title rival Michael Schumacher in that year's final race in Adelaide, said:

"For a driver to resist the temptation to be an aggressive defender is extremely high. We’ve had enough of these championships which have been decided controversially, and I think that, for all the good work the sport does, it’s slightly undone when we have an unsatisfactory resolution."

The world will wait and watch to see who is crowned the 2021 F1 world champion at the revised Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, December 12.