In excruciating circumstances, Lewis Hamilton lost the 2021 Drivers’ Championship.
Lewis Hamilton has acknowledged that when he watches a clip of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021, he “still feels it.” The Mercedes driver is still adamant that Max Verstappen won the world championship that year on the penultimate lap of the race at Yas Marina, and he was “robbed” of it.
With both drivers sitting on 369.5 points going into the championship round, Hamilton and Verstappen could not be separated. Thus, it was a winner-take-all race, with Verstappen chasing his first world championship and Hamilton aiming for his eighth.
Race director Michael Masi erred in his rule-application, allowing only a certain number of lapped drivers to unlap themselves, which put Verstappen right behind the leader on brand-new tires while Hamilton was leading due to a late safety car.
When the race resumed, the Dutchman stormed ahead, leaving Hamilton devastated and upsetting Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. The FIA then fired Masi for handling the climax improperly.
Since then, Hamilton has failed to win a Grand Prix, and the 39-year-old is still hurting from his loss. He told GQ, “Was I robbed? Of course. You are aware of the tale, after all. However, I believe that the most beautiful thing that I remember about that moment was that my dad was with me.
“We had experienced the highs and lows of this enormous life roller coaster together. He was there on the day that it hurt the most, and he raised me to always stand tall and hold your head high.
“I went to congratulate Max, of course, not realizing the effect that would have, but I was also acutely aware that a miniature version of myself was watching. This is my life’s pivotal event. And I believe it was. I sensed it.
“I had no idea how people would react to it. I hadn’t really imagined it. However, I was acutely aware of the fact that these next 50 meters are either where I die or where I rise. I can still feel it if I watch a video of [the race]. However, I accept it.”
Hamilton’s wounds were only made worse by witnessing Verstappen dominate the last two Drivers’ Championships. After taking home the first two Grands Prix of the season, Verstappen is poised to win a record-breaking fourth consecutive championship.
Hamilton, on the other hand, has only scored eight points in the first eight races of his F1 career, which is his worst start ever. The veteran of the Silver Arrows, who has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Scuderia, will join Ferrari in 2025.
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