Hamilton looks to extend F1 race

LEWIS Hamilton will bid to keep alive his hopes of a historic eighth Formula One world title at the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday, powered by the new engine that aided his remarkable triumph in Brazil.

After consecutive victories in Sao Paulo and Qatar, Mercedes’ defending champion seeks to complete a hat-trick, or see championship leader Max Verstappen suffer a setback, on the streets of the high-speed Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

If he succeeds and trims the Red Bull driver’s eight-point advantage to just one, or even zero, the title will be decided by a final winnertakes-all showdown in Abu Dhabi on December 12.

But Hamilton knows it is a perilous challenge and that he cannot afford to take any risks. Verstappen will take the title on Sunday if he wins and Hamilton finishes outside the top six.

“You just have to be very careful – more cautious than ever before,” said Hamilton.

“You have to be ready to do whatever you can to avoid a collision even if it means leaving the track,” he told Germany’s Auto Motor Und Sport.

“After all, you want to finish the race. If you are too stubborn and defend your position, you will crash.”

The 36-year-old Briton and Verstappen have collided twice this year, at Silverstone and Monza, and had several near-misses in a rollercoaster season.

“In Brazil, I made sure to avoid the collision,” added Hamilton, referring to his off-track excursion when forced wide by Verstappen.

“I was always very decent in situations like this, I would say. Of course, you don’t always get it done perfectly …

“And he’s not my first opponent to act like this. Now that I’m a little older, I take a closer look at the characters of the other drivers and their personal backgrounds … How you grew up has an impact on how you behave. I try to understand.”

The challenging new track, with its 27 corners, theoretically appears likely to favour Hamilton’s Mercedes.