ALL OUT BATTLE
LEWIS HAMILTON will have the perfect chance to retake the championship lead tomorrow after rival Max Verstappen was booted the back of the starting grid.
But Mercedes boss Toto Wolff warned that there will be drama and crashes before the end of the season because Hamilton has decided not to back down any time Verstappen challenges him on the track.
The title protagonists sts took each other out ut in Italy two weeks s ago when both refused to yield in a corner, leaving Verstappen still five points ahead in the e title race.
Engine
And though Verstappen (inset) will start last tomorrow after being penalised for his fourth engine change this season, Wolff has promised fans that the needle between the two F1 stars wi l l continue.
“They race each other very closely now, which wasn’t the case in the past,” said Wolff during pr actice f or t he Russian Grand Prix in Sochi.
“Lewis has decided not to bail out anymore when he thinks the corner is his.
“You cannot expect them to have velvet gloves on. That is why I believe we are going to see more harsh moments.
“It needs two to tango. If they both want to avoid collisions they would have fewer collisions, but if they don’t, because they feel it is right not to bail, or not give enough room then we will have more.”
Wolff’s opposite number, Christian Horner at Red Bull, said his man feels exactly the same and that there is no way he can stop Verstappen taking risks.
“To say they are never going to to uch each other again over the next eight rac races, I doubt T Toto has that c control over Lewis an d we don’t over Max,” h e s said.
“It is down to them in the car racing for the biggest trophy in motor racing.
“We want it to be a really competitive and a clean run-in to the end of the season.
Tight
“But inevitably when the drivers are starting next to each other so often, are racing at venues that are very tight, and share a similar mentality, you will get incidents.”
In the build-up this week, Hami lton claimed his 23-year- old rival is feeling the pressure of battling for his maiden championship.
But Horner said: “I don’t see any change in Max. He is a young guy, he is going for it, and has nothing to lose.”