Max Verstappen appears to have broken a “hidden agreement” after failing to turn up to the traditional post-season driver’s meal in Abu Dhabi. The World Champion is expected to pay for everyone’s dinner in the Middle East but Verstappen was nowhere to be seen in pictures posted online.
And he wasn’t the only one who was absent. 11 out of 20 grid drivers were snapped at the Hakkasan restaurant in the United Arab Emirates capital. Zhou Guanyu, Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were pictured on the right-hand side of the table.
Meanwhile, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz, George Russell, Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo were sat on the opposite side. Video evidence later revealed that McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris had been present but missed the photo, leaving seven drivers unaccounted for.
Among those, who didn’t appear to be there was Red Bull duo Verstappen and Sergio Perez, Haas pairing, Logan Sargeant, Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso. But the Dutchman’s absence will be the most controversial of all.
In 2016, Nico Rosberg offered some insight into the meal on social media, saying: “The hidden agreement usually is that the world champion pays.”
Despite Verstappen winning the title in 2022 it was confirmed that Hamilton had organised and paid for the entire grid’s meal with Alex Albon explaining: “We had a set menu. There were a lot of people with dietary requirements like obviously, Lewis Hamilton is vegan.
“Lewis covered the bill, very nice of him. He organised it as well – very nice of him. The dinner, truthfully speaking, was really special. It was a lot of fun.
“I think every driver, [including] myself, my cheeks were aching just smiling and laughing the whole time, so it was really good.”
