Lewis Hamilton remains on seven F1 titles with Michael Schumacher (Image: Getty)
The contentious finale of the from three years ago continues to linger in the thoughts of boss , while chooses to reflect on a poignant moment with his father after the race. The dramatic conclusion to the 2021 Formula One season saw Hamilton go head-to-head with , with the ultimate prize of the drivers’ championship at stake.
The race spiralled into pandemonium during the final laps following a late safety car that compressed the field. The situation escalated into controversy when then FIA race director Michael Masi permitted several drivers between the leading Hamilton and challenger Verstappen to un-lap themselves, setting the stage for a nail-biting one-lap showdown for the championship.
Masi’s call tipped the scales in favour of Verstappen, who, equipped with newer tyres, overtook the seven-time world champion, clinching his maiden title and thwarting Hamilton’s bid for an unprecedented eighth crown.
Fast forward three years, and as Verstappen, now 27, secured his fourth consecutive championship before the season’s last race in Abu Dhabi, 39-year-old Hamilton gears up for his 246th and final outing with , ahead of his move to next season.
Wolff, speaking on the, confessed that the infamous ruling, which he termed a “sporting tragedy,” still profoundly affects him, reports . He said: “I felt angry, not depressed or sad, just angry that an individual was able to take away an eighth championship from the best driver in the world by a bad decision.
“But you have to put it into context, there are dictators around the world and politicians that cause so much pain that it is in no way comparable to Lewis losing the eighth title or for us as a team.”
Hamilton and Verstappen’s battle in Abu Dhabi remains one of the sports’ most controversial moments (Image: Getty)
Reflecting on the emotional aftermath of the event, he added: “The anger of that moment of a person… But even Lewis learned to manage his emotions very strongly and after a few days was in an okay space. It still goes with us because of the unfairness that happened on this particular day.”
Tied with Michael Schumacher at seven world titles, Hamilton has chosen to adopt a positive stance on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix outcome, despite feeling wronged. “Was I robbed? Obviously,” Hamilton said in a earlier this year. “I mean, you know the story. But I think what was really beautiful in that moment, which I take away from it, was my dad was with me. And we’d gone through this huge roller coaster of life together, ups and downs.”
In the face of defeat, Hamilton’s actions spoke volumes as he embraced his father and graciously congratulated , highlighting the significance of setting a good example for young fans watching the events unfold.
“And the day that it hurt the most, he was there, and the way he raised me was to always stand up, keep your head high,” he continued. “And I obviously went to congratulate Max, and not realising the impact that that would have, but also I was really conscious of, like, there’s a mini-me watching.
“This is the defining moment of my life. And I think it really was. I felt it. I didn’t know how it was going to be perceived. I hadn’t, like, visualised it. But I was definitely conscious of: these next 50 metres that I walk is where I fall to the ground and die or I rise up.”