But on the final lap, after rival Max Verstappen had passed him, Hamilton said: “This has been manipulated, man.”. This is directed at the handling of the race, and not at Verstappen or Red Bull. Hamilton was dominating the race ahead of Verstappen and on the way to clinch a record eighth world title when the safety car was deployed with five laps to go. But he let only the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen go through, and not those between Verstappen and Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari in third, or any others. Norris said: “Sometimes they let you go, sometimes they don’t.

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