Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have 'scars that need healing'

Mark Webber believes Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen could both benefit from a year out of F1 after a bruising season left both drivers with 'scars that need healing'.

Mercedes and Red Bull went toe-to-toe in one of the most memorable F1 seasons in recent history, which culminated in a thrilling and controversial finale at Abu Dhabi in November with Verstappen clinching his maiden world title.

'It’s hard, I think we need a year off,' Australia's Nine Wide World of Sports. 'They need a year off.

'There’s still some old scars there that need some healing

'That might be done after their careers, they can have a red wine together. But while they are racing against each other they will be big rivals, and that’s what we want in the sport.'

The final race of the season in Abu Dhabi has gone down in the sport's folklore for a controversial ending, which continues to remain a hot topic of debate four months on. 

Hamilton looked set to win the race and claim an unprecedented eighth world title, until the safety car was deployed after Nicolas Latifi hit the wall with five laps left. 

Race director Michael Masi subsequently decided to allow the cars standing between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves from behind the safety car ahead of the final lap, effectively turning it into a title shootout. 

Verstappen made his fresher tyres count by overtaking Hamilton with a few corners to go to seal his first world championship crown. 

Masi has since been accused of giving into pressure applied by Red Bull chief Christian Horner and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, resulting in his decision not to follow the FIA rules and allow lapped cars to pass on the final lap.

Earlier this week, video footage of a conversation between