FIA Gala: Karting champion names Hamilton & Vettel as idols in front of Verstappen; WATCH

Celebrations continued for Red Bull driver Max Verstappen who received his F1 Drivers World Trophy Championship trophy during the FIA prize giving ceremony on Thursday. The Abu Dhabi GP on Sunday witnessed a very dramatic and controversial end to the Verstappen vs Hamilton rivalry in which the former beat the latter in the last lap to claim the win as well as the title.

Karting World Champion names Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel as his idol

Apart from the crowning ceremony of Max Verstappen, the FIA Gala awards witnessed winners of other motorsports fields being handed the trophy. Max Verstappen had the opportunity to give away the trophy to the stars of tomorrow, with Karting World Champions coming in the shape of Tuukka Taponen, Kean Nakamura and Noah Mill.

Max Verstappen had the opportunity to present the award to Kean Nakamura and when the youngster was asked who his inspiration was to which he replied with name of Lewis Hamilton and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel but not Max Verstappen, prompting an awkward reaction from the Red Bull driver. He said, "I grew up watching Lewis drive, [and] Sebastian racing together. I’ve always looked up to all the top racers in F1 really.”

F1 set to change rules following Verstappen vs Hamilton controversy

Max Verstappen will start the 2022 season as the defending World Champion and will be expecting a fierce fight from Lewis Hamilton who will look to reclaim the title he lost this season. In a major development regarding the next season, F1 managing director Ross Brawn has decided to stop team principals from being able to speak to the race director while the race is going on, starting from next season onwards.

The decision was taken after the Michael Masi controversy during the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Both Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff and Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner were heard talking to Race director Masi after he allowed the lap cars to overtake the Safety car with his earlier decision being to not allow the lapped cars unlap themselves. The decision benefitted Max Verstappen who started besides Lewis Hamilton on fresh tyre before overtaking him to snatch the F1 Championship at the last corner.

Image: Lewisgfreal/ Twitter