At the end of a very long championship, which will end this weekend with the appointment in Abu Dhabi, one between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will be able to claim the title of Formula 1 world champion.
The Dutchman of Red Bull and the Englishman of Mercedes will arrive at Yas Marina on equal points in the standings. A situation that in the past has only occurred on one occasion, in 1974.
In that year it was Emerson Fittipaldi and Clay Regazzoni who came together in the standings at the last round of the season and in the end it was the Brazilian who won the world title for the second time in his career.
Just “O Rato” was reached by Motorsport.com for an exclusive interview in which Emerson spoke not only of the extraordinary fight for the world title, but also of the terrible accident that last weekend saw his nephew Enzo as an unfortunate protagonist during the route of the F2 Feature Race.
What do you think of the accident in which Enzo was involved in Formula 2?
“I think we have to thank the FIA for the work done to make the cars safer over the years. Thank God he only injured his right foot even though the impact was very violent. All in all it is fine and this is due to the monocoque which is currently really robust “.
“That incident reminded me of Riccardo Paletti’s 1982 one in Montreal. It was horrible and reminded us of how much progress safety has made in motorsport ”.
The medical staff puts Enzo Fittipaldi, Charouz Racing System on a stretcher
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
We arrive in Abu Dhabi with Max and Lewis on equal points in the standings. Who do you think will win the title?
“I think no one can predict how it will end and it is a similar situation to the one I experienced in 1974 when I reached the last race on equal points with Regazzoni. Both will be under pressure, but not only Lewis and Max, but also the teams, families, sponsors and the fans themselves ”.
“The race will be only between the two of them and whoever is in front will win the title. Only one of them will be champion. I can imagine how much anxiety will grow … “.
If both were to retire, Max would be crowned champion by virtue of the highest number of victories. Do you think this factor will affect Hamilton?
“I don’t think Lewis will feel more pressure due to Max’s more wins. The most important thing will be to finish the race and whoever is up front will have the certainty of the title. It will be an incredible motorsport story ”.
In your opinion, what was the key moment of this championship?
“I don’t think there has been a single key moment of the season. Max has led the championship for longer, but in the last four or five rounds Mercedes are really competitive again. I think since August the season has become really intense at every race ”.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B, and Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
What idea have you made of the rules for 2022? Do you think the values on the pitch will remain similar or will there be some team outsiders?
“I think the new rules will provide many surprises because whoever can interpret them better will have an advantage. The situation will not be clear until the first qualifying of the year. Those who have decided to focus more on the development of the 2022 car could have an advantage ”.
“However, I think that the bigger teams will always have an advantage over the smaller ones, even if the other teams may perhaps be closer. I believe we will have more balanced performances. I hope the single-seaters can race in the slipstream and provide exciting races to watch ”.
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