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Reuters

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Reuters

The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix lives deep within every Formula 1 fan’s mind. The events of the season finale were extraordinary and one of a kind. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen treated the world of F1 with an ultimate battle that won’t be repeated soon. Unsurprisingly, the conclusion of the intense battle and the results of the finale after the decisions of Michael Masi split the two fan bases.

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The Verstappen contingent argues the decision from Masi was correct and he is the deserved winner. The Hamilton stans argue otherwise, pointing out the various flaws in Masi’s decision.

Soon after the Abu Dhabi GP, the hashtag “#VoidLap58” started trending on Twitter. Using the hashtag, Hamilton’s fans started rallying against the decision and got behind the idea of not recognizing the 58th lap of the race. Most fans were and still are of the belief that the penultimate lap should be voided. Most also believe that the race should’ve ended behind a safety car, making Hamilton an eight-time world champion.

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However, neither happened and all the ruckus created by online did not affect the F1 decision makers. Although, after the events of the 2022 Italian GP in both F1 and F3, the fans are rallying again. #VoidLap58 is trending again on Twitter as the FIA contradicts Masi’s decisions by voiding a lap in F3 and ending the F1 Italian GP behind a safety car.

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Read More: Red Bull Boss Admits Max Verstappen Could Never Reach Lewis Hamilton’s Level

Not just the fans, but the Mercedes man is also reminiscing about what could’ve been.

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Events of the Italian GP clearly did not please Lewis Hamilton

After the Italian GP, before Hamilton expressed how he felt about the race ending behind a safety car, his body language said plenty. Hamilton confessed, “It always brings memories back, that is the rule that it should be, right?” Fans spotted the Mercedes man looking at Verstappen after the race.

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Even though Hamilton had his helmet on and was standing with his hands on his side, one could tell what he must have been thinking.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Bromance moments between Max Verstappen & Lewis Hamilton

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Clearly, Hamilton was showcasing through his body language how painful the end of the 2021 championship was for him. All said and done, this picture of him looking at Verstappen definitely makes for some hilarious reactions.

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Written by

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Mahim Suhalka

2,204 Articles

Mahim is a senior Formula 1 writer at EssentiallySports. With a Diploma in Sports Management, he ventured into sports journalism for his sheer passion for F1. Mahim has written over 2000 articles during his tenure at ES, and his expertise is in perspective pieces and core sports coverage. Mahim’s writing flair and meticulous research work have resulted in him contributing to in-depth analysis on teams like Red Bull and Mercedes as well as Team Principals Christian Horner and Toto Wolff. His support for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team and their #44 driver Lewis Hamilton came naturally after being awestruck by the brilliance during his foray into F1. You can follow him on X @MahimSuhalka.

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Edited by

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Ankit Sharma

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