Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have been officially warned they could be kicked out of the entire championship for foul play in Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix showdown.
Race director Michael Masi, who is in charge of racing, issued the dictat on the eve of the hotly anticipated final round of the world championship.
In a detailed statement released Thursday afternoon he said the punishment could even include suspension from next year’s championship or more.
Other options open to the stewards would be to strip drivers of points as well.
In a comprehensive statement Masi warned that the same penalty could be dished out to the team as well as the driver.
The move comes amid increasingly desperate tactics in this year’s title chase and fears for the two driver’s safety.
Hamilton and Verstappen collided twice at the last round in Saudi Arabia. The duo went off the track while battling for position and the Dutchman was given a five-second penalty.
Although some onlookers believe Hamilton was partially to blame, he ran into the back of the Red Bull in a separate incident.Mercedes' world champion accused Verstappen of “brake-testing” him.
Verstappen insisted he had merely slowed, as instructed, to let Hamilton pass but stewards ruled his braking had been “erratic”.
For those actions the Dutchman was given another 10-second penalty.
Hamilton’s win means the duo go into Sunday’s race dead level on points – the first time that has happened in the sport since 1974.
But with one extra win (9–8) Verstappen would become champion if the duo crash out again.
But his tactics and the rising tension between Mercedes and Red Bull has resulted in Masi’s dictat.
It quoted the International Sporting Code line for line:
- 9.3 Article 12.2.1 – Breach of Rules and in particular Article 12.2.1.l Any infringement of the principles of fairness in Competition, behaviour in an unsportsmanlike manner or attempt to influence the result of a Competition in a way that is contrary to sporting ethics.
- 29.4 Article 12.4.5 - For all the FIA Championships, cups, challenges, trophies or series, the stewards may also decide to impose the following penalties: Suspension for one or more Competitions, withdrawal of points for the Championship, cup, challenge, trophy, series.”
- 29.5 Article 12.4.5.a - Points should not be deducted separately from Drivers and Competitors, save in exceptional circumstances.
After the drama in Saudi Arabia, Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, said the stewards need to make the possible punishments for rogue racing clear to the two drivers.
Hill lost out on the 1994 title when he crashed out with Michael Schumacher in Adelaide.
Three years later, Schumacher was stripped from the entire championship for driving into Jacques Villeneuve in the final round in an attempt to wrap up the title.
Teams arrive in Abu Dhabi
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
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Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
