Formula 1 race director Michael Masi has warned Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton they face the prospect of having championship points deducted for any unsporting conduct at this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The two drivers are level on points heading into the final race of the season, with Verstappen holding the edge on Hamilton via countback, having won nine races to eight this season.
It’s raised the prospect of yet another championship being decided by a crash, such as when Michael Schumacher took out Damon Hill in Adelaide in 1994.
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The Red Bull and Mercedes drivers have been involved in a number of on-track incidents this year, notably at Silverstone, Monza, and last weekend in Saudi Arabia.
Seeking to head off any trouble that could result in an unsavoury finish to an increasingly bitter battle, Masi’s pre-event notes have highlighted a number of sections of the FIA’s Sporting Code.
Article 12.2.1.1 states: “Any infringement of the principles of fairness in competition, behaviour in an unsportsmanlike manner or attempt to influence the result of a competition in a way that is contrary to sporting ethics.”
Masi also specifically referenced Article 12.4.5: “For all the FIA championships, cups, challenges, trophies or series, the stewards may also decide to impose the following penalties: Suspension for one or more competitions, withdrawal of points for the championship, cup, challenge, trophy, series.”
The latter occured in 1997, when Michael Schumacher was stripped of second place in the championship, after he collided with title-rival Jacques Villeneuve in the final race of the season.
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