Max Verstappen has questioned Sir Lewis Hamilton's involvement in Sir Martin Broughton's Chelsea takeover bid. The seven-time racing world champion and Serena Williams are said to have pledged £10million each towards Broughton's consortium, according to Sky News.
The two international sportspeople are joining the likes of Lord Sebastian Coe in the bid. Former Liverpool chairman Broughton will be hoping Hamilton's inclusion will put him on pole position to take over from Roman Abramovich.
Broughton is joined by Steve Pagliuca and Todd Boehly in the bidding race, with the fourth party, the Ricketts Family, dropping out after failing to table a final bid before the deadline late last week. The Chelsea takeover comes after owner Roman Abramovich decided to put the club up for sale.
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With the Russian billionaire's assets frozen, the west Londoners were placed under a special sporting licence by the UK Government, meaning they couldn't sell tickets or merchandise, as well as number of other restrictions such as a cap on travel costs. But, now, with the bids rolling in, Chelsea could soon be shifting back into fifth gear.
Hamilton's prospective involvement with the Blues came as a surprise to many due to the Mercedes driver's support for Arsenal from a young age. Verstappen has questioned Hamilton's motive behind buying the club, claiming that as a PSV fan he wouldn't dream of buying Ajax.
In an interview with the PA news agency, via The Telegraph, the Red Bull driver poked fun at his rival on the grid. Verstappen said: "I thought he was an Arsenal fan. And if I was going to buy a football club I would want to be the full owner and to take the decisions myself, not own just a tiny percentage.
"I thought he was an Arsenal fan? And if you are an Arsenal fan going for Chelsea, that it is quite interesting. But everyone does what they want with their money, so let's see what comes out of it."
Verstappen's jibe at his competitor comes ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend amid the pair's slow start to the F1 season. Just three points separate the two drivers.
