Jeddah winner Lewis Hamilton is left with a bad taste in his mouth as he accuses title rival Max Verstappen of thinking he is above the rules.

The Briton's comments at the end of a race which will once again take the spot on to the front pages for all the wrong reasons, for along with the clashes with the barriers and rivals cars, drivers, team bosses and sporting directors traded verbal blows.

Having accused Verstappen of brake testing him on the 38th lap of the race, along with the Dutchman Hamilton has been summoned by the stewards, and as we await their decision, the stage is set perfectly for the season finale, with the pair (currently) level on points and clearly having run out of respect for one another.

"For me, I really had to try and just keep my cool out there, which was really difficult to do," admitted Hamilton at race end.

"I've raced a lot of drivers in my life, in the 28 years, I've come across a lot of different characters," he continued. "There's a few at the top which are, yeah, over the limit. Rules kind of don't apply, or they don't think of the rules."

Asked if he included Verstappen among these, he replied: "He's over the limit, for sure.

"I've avoided collisions on so many occasions with the guy, and I don't always mind being the one that does that, because you live to fight another day. Which I obviously did.

"Today I just tried to do my talking on the track," he added. "Keep the car in between the white lines and do it the right way.

"There were so many things thrown at us. We got the pole, we lost out. Then I got back past. Then he passed over the kerb, there were so many different crazy curveballs that were sent.

"Then he obviously brake-tested to try, I think, to get the DRS into the last corner to overtake me again back into Turn 1. In the commotion I thought I'd lost my wing."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by HoosierDaddy, 06/12/2021 16:25

"@Carsten B it didn't matter where max was on the track. Lewis was staying directly behind him because if he wasn't directly behind, Max could brake hard enough for Lewis to fly by before he could react. Both were being idiots to force the other to be ahead at the DRS detection point. Max got a 5 second penalty but only because they somehow concluded Max was the bigger idiot.

"

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2. Posted by Carsten B, 06/12/2021 15:40

"@Stitch431: I seldom get of the fence and comment, but by implying that Hamilton got preferential treatment by the stewards you are so much off the mark.
Verstappen got penalized - by the stewards - not Masi, for 5+10 seconds and 2+1 points.
The ridiculous lunge down the outside of turn one at the first restart and rejoining the track almost ramming HAM where HAM avoided the crash, merited penalty. The "negotiating" of start position was - honestly - out of order. Masi "offered" him 3rd on the the grid for the second restart. WTF. RedBull happily accepted knowing the stewards might have awarded worse. Which in fact they did by adding 5 sec and 1 point.
The second restart VER nailed nicely and rather clean.
Then the DRS assisted overtaking by HAM where he had cleared VER by a length and a half, when VER just brakes so late and dives to the inside that he can not make the corner. HAM avoids the inevitable crash.
The solcalled brake testing on LAP 37 was awarded another 10 sec plus 2 points for what the stewards deemed "erratic" driving (a 2.4G "braking" which I understand was a 5 gear downshift in fact with the same result as braking hard. Had he stayed at the right I wouldn't have thought about it but he did it drifting back to the middle of the track.)"

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3. Posted by KKK, 06/12/2021 9:20

"If Max does try and knock out Lewis, it will be the end of F1 for a lot of people, but hey, Bottas could be persuaded to do the same to Max ??? I just hope that it will be a race between the two."

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4. Posted by Hobgoblin, 06/12/2021 9:08

"I predict that Max will take Hamilton out at the next race - Senna/Prost style - and thus claim the championship on countback of wins.
I really hope he doesn't, and its a clean fight to the finish, but..."

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5. Posted by dejan, 06/12/2021 1:40

"Have you seen this result?

https://www.pitpass.com/src/seasons/2021/gp/belgium/times/result.php

This is the FIA giving Max Verstappen a win for a couple of laps behind the safety car..."

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6. Posted by Stitch431, 05/12/2021 22:50

"I, Lewis Hamilton, declare to give my trophy to Michael Masi next week, in case I win the championship. Michael clearly won the trophy for me!"

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"He's over the limit," says Hamilton of rival Verstappen

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