GARY LINEKER has summed up Max Verstappen’s controversial victory over Lewis Hamilton with a perfect football analogy.
Verstappen, 24, overcame Brit hero Hamilton after some questionable decision making by under-fire FIA chief Michael Masi.
The Mercedes superstar, 36, had led his younger Red Bull foe for virtually all of the winner-takes-all race in Abu Dhabi.
Verstappen pitted for a second time to try and chase Hamilton down on fresher tyres, but remained 12 seconds behind with just six laps remaining… until Nicholas Latifi’s crash sent the safety car out.
Another quick pit stop left the Red Bull ace fresh for a photo finish… and the FIA made it easy by changing their mind at the last minute, allowing Verstappen to pass lapped cars to find himself right on Hamilton’s tail with just one lap remaining.
The FIA got their photo finish and new winner, much to the ire of Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, as well as a number of rival drivers.
And former England star Lineker, 61, threw in an analogy for football fans.
He wrote on Twitter: “Imagine Man City and Liverpool going toe to toe for the title.
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“On the last day of the season they meet & City are 3 up with just minutes to go.
“The referee decides it would be more exciting to have a penalty shootout. What’s more the City players have to be barefooted. That’s @F1.”
F1 reporter Will Buxton argued: “Very difficult to compare sports Gary, especially as F1 has such a complex rule book. Safety cars nullifying the field isn’t new.
“The circumstances were strange. But I’d say it’s more like Smith Rowe’s goal when De Gea was down recently, deciding the FA Cup in the 94th minute.”
Lineker was having none of it, however, replying: “Hardly. His own player injured him.
“There was zero controversy around it, nothing much at stake and it wasn’t near the end of the game, let alone the season, but, yeah, apart from that a much better analogy.”
George Russell, who will replace Valtteri Bottas as Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate next season, blasted: “THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!!
“Max is an absolutely fantastic driver who has had an incredible season and I have nothing but huge respect for him, but what just happened is absolutely unacceptable. I cannot believe what we’ve just seen.”
