Lewis Hamilton missed out on an eighth World Championship in 2021 (Image: Getty)
Former Marussia F1 driver Alexander Rossi has jokingly labelled an ‘eight-time champion’, making light of the controversial ending to the 2021 .
The final laps of the title decider in 2021 have been immortalised in F1 history. Fans of both drivers have argued to the bitter end on social media, with Hamilton’s fanbase believing that the Brit’s record-breaking eighth World Championship was unfairly taken away, while fans insist that the Dutchman was the most deserving champion.
To this day, the controversial ending to the race causes uproar and intense debate among F1 fans, and the anguish in Hamilton’s camp has only been more extreme given his and ’ relative struggles in the ground-effect era.
The Silver Arrows star endured a 945-day win drought that only ended with his fairytale triumph at the 2024 British Grand Prix. He has since added a 105th career race win after inheriting the victory of the Belgian Grand Prix from team-mate .
Some maintain that Hamilton should be considered an eight-time champion. Rossi – who made five Grand Prix appearances for Marussia in 2015 before embarking on a successful IndyCar career – was briefly among them.
During an episode of the Off Track with Hinch and Rossi podcast, the 33-year-old was discussing the battle between the two drivers in Las Vegas with co-host and fellow IndyCar alumni James Hinchcliffe.
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Alexander Rossi drove for Marussia in 2015 (Image: Getty)
As he was praising Hamilton’s ability to conserve his tyres while still extracting maximum pace from the W15, Hinchliffe chimed in, supporting his friends’ argument by reminding listeners that the Brit is a “seven-time champ”. Rossi, continuing his train of thought, jokingly corrected his co-host, stating: “eight-time champion”.
Hamilton will hope to secure his eighth world title in style when he swaps for over the winter. The Scuderia have a golden chance to carry over their momentum from a 2024 Constructors Championship fight into the 2025 season.
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However, the Brit will be on the back foot in some regards – he cannot drive the SF-24 in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi due to sponsorship and media requirements in his contract.
“I know Fred [Vasseur, team principal] wanted it to happen,” Hamilton revealed in Qatar. “For me, I was in two minds. Driving the red car for the first time in Abu Dhabi does not excite me. In a perfect world, you get to drive it, not be seen, and do the first rollout next year.”