'Points deduction unlikely if Verstappen pushes Hamilton off track'

Not for the first time this season Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton came into contact during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - several times even. With the scenario that Verstappen is world champion if both drivers drop out of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the question also arises as to how far Verstappen will go to beat Hamilton in Abu Dhabi and what the consequences of that could be.

The NOS spoke with FIA steward Peter Oord about the possibility of Hamilton not taking any points if he were deliberately run off the track by Verstappen. According to Oord, who was one of the stewards at this year's Dutch Grand Prix, it is unlikely that the FIA will deduct points from Verstappen in such an instance.

According to Oord, the stewards are not allowed to take interests like winning the championship into account in such a situation. "Yes, it's the last race of the season, the denouement of the world championship, but for the stewards this race is no different than the first, or the twelfth."

Oord explains how the stewards work during a race incident. "What exactly happened, what penalty is likely and how have they been punished in the past for similar incidents? The FIA tries to be as consistent as possible, so that it is as clear as possible for the drivers and also for the viewers."

As an example Oord cites the incident between Verstappen and Hamilton at Monza, where Verstappen ended up on top of Hamilton's Mercedes in the first chicane. "Then the stewards will also look at: what exactly happened, who is (more) guilty of the incident, what punishment is likely and how have we assessed it in the past? Then there will probably be a time penalty."