© LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd
Mercedes reserve driver Nyck de Vries says it’s not surprising that the “intense” duel between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen went “beyond the track”.
2020/2021 Formula E champion Nyck de Vries was asked by Austrian publication LAOLA1 how he viewed the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, considering he is Mercedes’ reserve driver, but also Max Verstappen’s countryman.
“Actually, I wanted to avoid this topic,” de Vries said.
“But, we are all enthusiastic racers and also motorsport fans, so we had to be thankful for this duel.
“I heard that the last time a situation like this happened with two opponents tied on points was 47 years ago, and I thought ‘wow’.
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“We have to be thankful for having witnessed this great fight. The fact that it became very intense is part of the game.
“It became apparent that the duel would go beyond the track.”
The controversial finish of the Abu Dhabi race led to speculation on whether Lewis Hamilton will return to Formula 1 in 2022. De Vries was asked if he had any talks with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff about possibly replacing the Briton.
“We spoke last week on the occasion of his birthday. We are in regular contact.
“But we didn’t talk about Formula 1,” the Dutch driver concluded.
