Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen clashed again, tangling less than 60 seconds into their epic F1 title decider

• Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's epic F1 title race reached its crescendo Sunday as the men clashed again.
• Hamilton took the lead off the start, but Verstappen dived back during the first lap, with the cars almost touching.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen clashed again, coming together on the first lap of their Formula One title showdown in Abu Dhabi.

The build-up to Sunday's deciding race was dominated by discussions of whether Verstappen and his title rival might come together once again, and it came to pass on the first lap.

Verstappen had qualified on pole, but Hamilton got the better start, overtaking the Red Bull driver into the first corner. Verstappen fought back as the first lap progressed, lunging up the inside of Hamilton into turn six and seemingly retaking the lead.

Hamilton was pushed wide due to Verstappen's move, cutting the corner to avoid a collision, and in doing so, keeping his advantage.

It seemed as though Hamilton would have to give Verstappen the lead after the incident, but the race stewards disagreed, saying that no investigation was necessary, allowing Hamilton to maintain his position.

You can see the incident below:

The Red Bull team was furious, accusing race director Michael Masi and the race stewards of a "total lack of consistency" in applying the rules of F1, and arguing that while Verstappen's move was "hard" and "aggressive," he did not force Hamilton off the track.

"That's incredible. What are they doing there?" — Verstappen asked incredulously on the radio after being informed of the decision of the stewards not to investigate the clash.

If Hamilton maintains his lead throughout the race, he will win his eighth F1 world title, overtaking the seven world championships won by Michael Schumacher and cementing his position as statistically the greatest driver in the sport's history.