Max Verstappen admits his aggressive overtakes on Esteban Ocon during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix were motivated by “revenge”.
There was still a palpable tension between the pair at the final race following their collision while the Dutchman was leading two weeks earlier in Brazil, so it was almost fitting they should battle again at Yas Marina.
A poor start had put the Red Bull driver behind the Frenchman and he barged his way through twice at the Turn 7 hairpin after Ocon had been able to repass following the first move.
“I thought to myself ‘If he shuts the door, I’ll push him off the track’. It may have been revenge for Brazil,” Verstappen told Austria’s Servus TV.
“I liked it. It felt good.”
Not long after lights out, these two were straight back at it in Abu Dhabi
Take it away, @Max33Verstappen and @OconEsteban ?#AbuDhabiGP ?? #F1 pic.twitter.com/7wSo96eFri
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 25, 2018
Max would go on to finish third after passing Valtteri Bottas, a result which also saw him jump the Finn into fourth in the Drivers’ Championship.
The only disappointing thought going forward is, with Ocon not on the grid next season, we’ll have to wait until 2020 until the pair come to blows again.
By then, however, Esteban might just be behind the wheel of a Mercedes.