Red Bull driver rift adds spice to Abu Dhabi finale, Hamilton looking for first win
The Red Bull rift could bring fresh drama to Yas Marina, the circuit where last year Verstappen won his first title and denied Hamilton a record eighth in a massively controversial clash.
Verstappen has little at stake this time, having wrapped up his second title in Japan last month, but can expect a grilling from the world's media after leaving his motives a mystery at Interlagos.
Perez acidly accused Verstappen of showing "who he really is" in refusing to hand back a place as requested by Red Bull who want the Mexican to end the season second overall.
The new champion constructors have never finished one-two in the drivers' standings and Perez is now level on points with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc but behind on race wins.
Verstappen's assertion that he and Perez had talked and moved on, and that he was willing to help the Mexican in Abu Dhabi, is unlikely to draw a line under the matter.
There is widespread bafflement at why a driver who has dominated the season refused to hand back a sixth place of no consequence to him, and why he was so obviously angry at the request.
If, as some have suggested, it was payback for Perez's qualifying crash at Monaco in May, then why had it taken so long to manifest? And why was Verstappen still so vexed about it given all the positives since then?
The controversy will not distract Verstappen from chasing a record-extending 15th win of the season but the task is getting harder, with Mercedes and Ferrari filling the top four places in Brazil.
Sunday's race will also be the last opportunity for Hamilton to claim a first victory of the year with Mercedes and avoid the first season without a win of his career.
The prospects look a lot brighter for him, after Mercedes ended their season-long blank in Brazil last weekend with George Russell's breakthrough win. He led home a Mercedes one-two and a repeat result with the fastest lap would help the former champions overtake Ferrari for second in the constructors', with just 19 points separating the two teams.
A five times winner at Yas Marina, where Verstappen has won for the last two years, Hamilton still faces a big challenge and will not want or be expecting any special treatment from his team.
"Lewis doesn't need any prioritisation and it's not what he ever would want," team boss Toto Wolff told reporters after Sunday's race at Interlagos when asked about the record and any help that might be given.
"I think he mentioned before that this race record of winning a race in every single season is less of a priority for him.
"It's more that we are getting the car back to where it can be and we are racing for more race victories next year and hopefully for championships."
Hamilton took only six races in his debut 2007 season to become a winner and has won at least once in every campaign since then.
No other driver can claim such an achievement although seven times world champion Michael Schumacher, who debuted in 1991 and finally retired in 2012, also won a race for 15 years in a row from 1992 to 2006.
"I'm not focused on the record but of course, I'm trying to get that win this year," Hamilton said in September.
"The record is not important to me, just because I don't really care about records in general."
The 37-year-old has finished second in his last three races and Mercedes have come a long way since the start of the season when their drivers were wrestling with a bouncing and uncompetitive car.
"It's still work in progress but we've had a good upgrade that we brought to Austin, we were solid in Mexico and now in Brazil which wasn’t the track we expected to be super-competitive we actually out-performed everyone," said Wolff.
"That shows that we are getting there in understanding how to unlock the performance in the car and that is a good indication for next year.
"We have seen the positive trend over the last three races. Are we back at the domination (level)? No, we are not. I think Abu Dhabi on paper is much more difficult for us."
Fourth place overall, equivalent to millions in prize money, is also up in the air.
Alpine, 19 points clear of McLaren, look set to be best of the rest spot after the Woking-based team suffered a double retirement in Brazil.
Sebastian Vettel will bow out on Sunday, at the same venue where he clinched his first title in 2010, in what is sure to be an emotional swansong for the four-times champion.
"I am sure that this race will bring back plenty of happy memories from the last 15 years," said the 35-year-old. "I want to go out on a high."
Canadian Nicholas Latifi and Australian Daniel Ricciardo will also be absent next year losing their seats at Williams and McLaren respectively, while it may also be a farewell to Mick Schumacher.
The German could join them on the sidelines with Haas widely tipped to announce Nico Hulkenberg alongside Kevin Magnussen for next season.