Lewis Hamilton has aimed a dig at title rival Max Verstappen as the pair prepare for the final two races of an epic 2021 season. The tone for the season was set during the opening race in Bahrain when Hamilton overtook Verstappen to claim victory before the roles were reversed in Emilia-Romagna. Verstappen edged ahead in the title race after winning race five in Monaco and stretched his lead heading into July before the first major flashpoint with Hamilton as the younger man crashed out of Silverstone on the first lap and ended up in hospital as the pair jostled at Copse corner. Verstappen was handed a three-place grid penalty for the Russian Grand Prix as Hamilton responded by winning in Sochi to make it 100 F1 victories – an unprecedented feat. Hamilton’s win at the Losail International Circuit at the weekend means there are now just eight points between him and Verstappen, with just Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi still to come.

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