12th December, 2021. A day that has gone down in the history books of Formula 1 as dreaded and never to be repeated. That day, Max Verstappen was crowned the newest World Champion, but Lewis Hamilton was pushed into the depths of despair. The Briton’s eighth World Championship was a mere lap away and as good as secured. However, one controversial decision changed the fate of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the years to come. Two years later, on this very day, Jos Verstappen has finally addressed how it all went down.

2021 was when F1 peaked. A seven-time World Champion was challenged by a Dutchman rising through the ranks. And a fitting competition between two such warriors warranted a fitting stage where it all went down to the wire. Both championship contenders, level on 369.5 points. It was all going Lewis Hamilton’s way until race director Michael Masi allowed the lapped cars between Hamilton, in P1, and Verstappen, in P2, to unlap themselves. And the rest is history.

Speaking on the second anniversary of his son’s first-ever championship victory, Jos Verstappen said, “For the fans of Formula 1 and, of course, speaking as Max’s Dad, it couldn’t [have] been better. It was so exciting until the last moment. Of course, for us, the outcome was nice. I imagine that, for Lewis and Toto, it was not so pleasant. But that’s how things are. We have to accept the m.” [Translated by Google]

Michael Masi Gets Acquitted for Lewis Hamilton’s Sour 2021 Loss as Blame Shifts on Mercedes

From Christian Horner’s team radio declaration of Verstappen winning to an emotional father witnessing his dream come true, and a furious Toto Wolff lashing out at Masi, the Abu Dhabi GP was the perfect climax to the thriller of a sporting movie that F1 showed. As ecstatic as it was for the Verstappen father-son duo, Hamilton couldn’t help but watch his world come to a standstill. But the sportsman he is, he’s put it all behind him and is all about what the present and future holds for him.

Lewis Hamilton narrates the “emotional” story of Mercedes’ progress

While 2021 is far gone, the 2 years that have followed haven’t been any step up for the Silver Arrows. 2022 saw George Russell trumping Lewis Hamilton, and the story was reversed in 2023, with the seven-time champ doing better. But none of these team battles mattered because Red Bull was miles ahead. And now that the winter break has arrived, developments are in full force, so much so that even Hamilton has been left floored by them.

“The mood [in the factory] is very positive,” Hamilton told the media ahead of FIA’s prize-giving ceremony. “I think all the members in the team are incredibly grateful to have got second in the Constructors’, given the challenges that we faced this season. And so it’s always quite emotional. And I’ve been with the team for such a long time , but every time you go back to Brixworth and Brackley, you’re reminded of just how big a team is pushing you forward from behind.”

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