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Four-time F1 world champion Alain Prost has claimed that having Max Verstappen as a championship rival this year has given Lewis Hamilton extra motivation to fight for his eighth world title.
Currently an advisor to Alpine, he has said that Lewis Hamilton’s fierce title fight against Verstappen has allowed him to show the whole world that he is deserving of his multiple drivers' championships.
In a video posted by F1 as part of the build-up to the season finale at Abu Dhabi, Prost said:
"For Lewis, it’s uh, luck to have Max against him, because it gives him his extra motivation. He is showing to the whole world that he really deserves to have many titles, you know."
Between the 1980s and the early 1990s, Prost raced for several successful teams and has himself been involved in some of the most controversial title fights in F1 history. His intense rivalry with Ayrton Senna led to drivers' championships in 1989 and 1990 being decided by race-ending crashes.
Lewis Hamilton has the chance to be the greatest driver in F1 history
Lewis Hamilton is aiming to clinch a record-breaking eighth world title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Felipe Massa has claimed that the title is very important to Lewis Hamilton as it allows him to become statistically the greatest driver in F1 history with more titles, race wins, poles, and points than any other driver.
Ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Massa said:
“You cannot forget that Lewis has that opportunity to beat Michael (Schumacher) or that he's already at the top of the top. But maybe achieving the top of the top of the top, I think that’s (why it’s) very important for him to win this championship.”
Meanwhile, Prost feels whoever may come out on top at the season finale will be a great champion, regardless of what happens.
“I would say what is nice is that the one who going to be a world champion is a great champion, whatever happens, you know.”
Regardless of how the Abu Dhabi GP pans out, one thing is for sure - history will be made - either one driver will cement his name in history as the greatest driver of all times, or the new face of F1 will clinch his maiden title and become one of the youngest champions in the history of the sport.
