A close-up on the world championship trophy. Fade out to reveal the two title rivals. The crescendo of the final media day of a breathless 2021 Formula 1 season: it’s LIVE coverage of Max Verstappen vs Lewis Hamilton…
…sat slightly awkwardly a few feet apart in a press conference room.
F1 is right to sell the finale as best it can because the championship hasn’t had two drivers arrive at the final round equal on points since 1974. In the Liberty Media era, when F1 is much more focused on showmanship, this forced equivalent of the weigh-in for a boxing match was very much expected.
And it played out in exactly the same way: both drivers reserved – cagey at best – and neither particularly interested in fanning any flames or generating soundbites.
These are two absolute heavyweights of the discipline but this is not boxing, so there is no share of the pay-per-view revenue on offer for either fighter – sorry, driver. There was no incentive for Hamilton or Verstappen to engage or try to take verbal lumps out of one another.
They have no issue doing that when the adrenaline is pumping and the emotions are bouncing off the rev limiter. But that’s because there’s something – everything – at stake then. Whereas this is nothing more than a distraction or a test.
When Hamilton feels the need to repeatedly point out he puts “no energy” into a topic, then you’re going to struggle no matter how many creative ways said topic could be brought up.
This was handled pretty professionally, courteously and predictably for the most part.
You could have scripted many of the answers. ‘It’s been an incredible group effort from everyone back in the factory and at the track.’ ‘We can be really proud of the whole team effort.’
Some platitudes about enjoying some downtime in Dubai between the races, insisting nobody is thinking about the potential for a title-deciding collision, how the focus is only on what they can control – it was excellent press conference bingo.
That’s not to say it was entirely without value. As always there were moments of interesting insight and hints about how a driver might be feeling.
For instance, a Hamilton answer on how it feels fighting for an eighth title and the significance of this one contained a brief but illuminating phrase expressing his belief that the number of championships he’s won means nothing when there’s another on the table.
“I don’t turn up with number one on my car, I turn up with number 44,” he says. “And I don’t consider myself the champion that year, I consider myself the one that’s fighting for a championship.”
There’s also chance to ask both drivers what they think about FIA race director Michael Masi feeling the need to remind them (and all drivers, but really it’s for them) that the International Sporting Code is very clear about unsporting behaviour and the potential for points deductions.
“It’s happened in the past obviously [collisions between title rivals] and I’m sure the stewards haven’t taken the precautions they have this time around,” says Hamilton.
“I think that’s fair that they do it. And hopefully, they won’t need to be used and we have a great race and we move forwards. I don’t really particularly have an opinion about it otherwise.
“I’m here to do my job and I don’t want to see the stewards any more than they want to see me.”
Verstappen was a little blunter. He’s still bristling over recent stewards’ decisions and clearly feels hard done by, adamant he is being treated differently after being on the receiving end of several punishments in Saudi Arabia for three transgressions in battle with Hamilton.
“I mean, I know what’s in the sporting code, so nobody needs to be really reminded of that,” he says.
“They can put it in every single race weekend. It’s nothing new for this weekend.”
Unsurprisingly Hamilton faced a couple of more blunt interrogations. Does he really think Max is “crazy”, having used that expression in the race last week? And can he, hand on heart, trust Verstappen will drive fairly? Careful answers followed, neither of which took the bait.
“Everyone here racing comes to win,” he says. “I like to believe everyone wants to do it the right way. And so I don’t even let that creep into my mind.”
Ultimately this press conference reflected the reality of the situation: neither driver really wants this season to end in acrimony and neither driver is really that comfortable confronting the prospect, let alone in front of one another.
Both drivers respect one another, even if their opinions have changed this year. Though of course, it’s inevitable they’re much more conscious of their comments in each other’s presence because they know the other’s there, listening and able to react.
“I don’t think we need to sit down [together],” says Verstappen. “We are both here to win.
“I will do everything to win [the race] and win the championship ultimately, whatever is necessary in terms of points.
“We’ve raced really well together already the whole year. And I think we put on a great show for everyone at the end of the day. So hopefully, of course, we can do that again here.”
Maybe it is a little forced. But both respect the intensity of the fight and want it to be concluded in the right way.
They will do whatever they think is best in the heat of battle. Ultimately, that is what will be box-office entertainment, as it has been for most of this year.
This forced sense of occasion is the result of that – even if it was only ever going to be a tame precursor by comparison.
