MAX VERSTAPPEN has hinted he is being denied a fair fight for the F1 title – questioning the legality of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.
The Red Bull ace picked up a £43,000 fine for tampering with Hamilton’s rear wing in Brazil.
And there is still suspicion over whether he believes the Merc is legal following a turnaround in results for the Brit.
Red Bull are alarmed at how Mercedes have upped their top speed after reigning F1 champ Hamilton blasted his way to pole in Doha yesterday.
When quizzed by if he was 100 per cent convinced that Hamilton’s car was legal, Verstappen said: “It is difficult to know fully, of course, not only moving forward but what has already been done and raced with previously.
“We have footage from it so these things can get highlighted but let’s hope we will have a good battle until the end.”
It comes after Red Bull boss Christian Horner asked Mercedes chief Toto Wolff about ‘score marks’ on his team’s wing, caused by the drag reduction system flap opening too wide.
Horner said his team were ready to launch a protest against Merc’s car, opening a murky investigation process that could see the title decided in the stewards’ room.
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Verstappen will be hauled in front of the stewards today after he failed to slow down for waved double-yellow flags during qualifying.
TV footage showed him ignoring the warnings that Pierre Gasly’s car had stopped on the track after a tyre blowout.
Hamilton was hit with a similar accusation at the Austrian GP in 2020 and was slapped with a three-place grid penalty.
If the same happens to Verstappen, he will then be demoted from second on the grid to start in fifth place.
Stewards took five days to reject Mercedes’ appeal for a review of the flashpoint in Sao Paulo, when Verstappen appeared to force Hamilton wide.
Drivers met with the FIA in Doha on Friday night but Hamilton says he confused as to what drivers are – and crucially are not – allowed to do.
He said: “Every driver was asking for clarity but it wasn’t very clear. It is still not clear what the limits of the track are.
“It is clearly not the white line any more when overtaking, so we just go for it.
“We just ask for consistency so if it’s the same for the last race for us in those scenarios, then it is fine.”
When asked if he could be more aggressive, Hamilton replied: “I would assume so, yes.”
Meanwhile the seven-time world champion says he will continue to wear his Progress Pride rainbow flag in Saudi Arabia next month.
