Verstappen and Piastri clash blows F1 title fight wide open

Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri made contact in the first corner of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, sending Australian to the back of the F1 pack.

It was a frenetic and messy start at the Yas Marina Circuit, with Charles Leclerc vaulting up into the points. By the end of the second lap the virtual safety car had been deployed as the Monegasque driver sat eighth, eleven places up on his P19 start.

Verstappen was hit by a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision.

Piastri was last of the runners, but since passed Franco Colapinto. At the end of lap five the McLaren driver pitted for hard tyres, aiming to reach the end of the race on that compound.

Prior to making his way past Colapinto, he fit the back of the Williams. That contact gave the Argetine a puncture, with Piastri getting a 10-second time penalty for the incident.

Max Verstappen only fell to P11 in the melee.