Wolff wary last-race crash could decide F1 title battle

Verstappen and Hamilton are locked in an intense battle for the world championship, with Red Bull’s Verstappen currently holding a 12-point advantage heading into the final five events of the year. 

The pair have already come to blows on two occasions at Silverstone and Monza, and Wolff would not be surprised to see another on-track collision at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix if the championship remains neck-and-neck. 

F1 has witnessed several controversial conclusions to the world championship throughout history, with the most famous clashes including Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in 1989 and 1990, Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill in 1994 and Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve three years later. 

"If it was to come to the scenario of the last race in Abu Dhabi and they were to be racing each other for the title, whoever is in front [on points] is absolutely going to try to do the same as in the Senna-Prost years," Wolff told The Daily Mail.

"What happened in Monza? Verstappen took Lewis out because he was about to overtake and he was quicker. And that is totally understandable.

"If you are racing for the championship and you see it fading away because the other guy is overtaking you, what tool have you got other than the one that makes sure he can't overtake? We've seen it with Schumacher and Villeneuve, we saw it with Senna and Prost twice.

"I would never give the instruction to crash into anyone else but if they go to that last race and whoever is in front wins the championship, they will be racing each other, hard.

"And I don't think you can control it, Hamilton and Verstappen, I don't think you want to control it because they are the gladiators in their machines. That is what makes this sport so interesting, because it is ingrained in our nature that we don't like confrontation and then one is intrigued to see how that relationship unfolds.

"If they crash are they going to confront each other? What are they going to say? Will they look in each others' eyes? We would not interfere. The relationship is sorted out between the individuals.”

The first collision at Silverstone led to Verstappen being hospitalised following a 50G crash, while Hamilton was able to win the British Grand Prix despite picking up a time penalty. 

Hamilton faced criticism from the Red Bull camp for his part in the crash and his post-race celebrations but Wolff accused Helmut Marko of being a “pantomime player” for claiming Hamilton had feigned injury to put on a “show” in the aftermath of the pair’s next clash at Monza. 

“Could we have done it better? Muted celebrations? No,” Wolff said. “People always see things in black and white. I'm right, you're wrong. They don't get it.

“Then we go to Monza. So what's worse? A 50G impact, or having a car on your head? Look, both walked away unharmed. That was the consequence, so fine, we move on.

“Lewis never played the dying swan, nor did we ever say he was heavily injured. And that can happen when a 750kg race car ends up on your head, even for a short while. He had a stiff neck, or a stiff body. But that's why they are well paid.

“One pantomime player at Red Bull felt he needed to comment and said Lewis was well enough to go to the Met Gala. But we didn't say he was gravely injured. It was just another headline created.”