Sunday's race will also be the last opportunity for Lewis Hamilton to claim a first victory of the year with Mercedes and avoid the first season without a win of his career. The controversy will not distract Verstappen from chasing a record-extending 15th win of the season but the task is getting harder, with Mercedes and Ferrari filling the top four places in Brazil. If, as some have suggested, it was payback for Perez's qualifying crash at Monaco in May, then why had it taken so long to manifest? And why was Verstappen still so vexed about it given all the positives since then? There is widespread bafflement at why a driver who has dominated the season refused to hand back a sixth place of no consequence to him, and why he was so obviously angry at the request.
Verstappen's assertion that he and Perez had talked and moved on, and that he was willing to help the Mexican in Abu Dhabi, is unlikely to draw a line under the matter. The new champion constructors have never finished one-two in the drivers' standings and Perez is now level on points with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc but behind on race wins. Perez acidly accused Verstappen of showing "who he really is" in refusing to hand back a place as requested by Red Bull who want the Mexican to end the season second overall.
Verstappen has little at stake this time, having wrapped up his second title in Japan last month, but can expect a grilling from the world's media after leaving his motives a mystery at Interlagos. The Red Bull rift could bring fresh drama to Yas Marina, the circuit where last year Verstappen won his first title and denied Lewis Hamilton a record eighth in a massively controversial clash.
ABU DHABI, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Formula One champion Max Verstappen heads into Sunday's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix facing questions about his character and behaviour after he refused to help team mate Sergio Perez at the last race in Brazil.
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