One of the most controversial championships in Formula 1 has to be the 2021 Abu Dabhi Grand Prix Finals. The score was neck to neck between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, however, an unexpected situation changed the results of the race. Lewis Hamilton was in the lead but Max Verstappen clinched the trophy.

For much of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton, aiming for his eighth World title, held a commanding lead over Max Verstappen. Hamilton’s dominance showcased that he was on course for another championship victory. However, that was stolen from him when Nicholas Latifi’s crash on lap 55 prompted the deployment of the safety car. So what exactly happened then?

Mercedes giving up on Lewis Hamilton’s 8th world champion title

After the safety car was at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the race officials made a contentious decision to allow lapped cars to pass the safety car. This closed the gap between Hamilton and Verstappen, giving the current world champion his first tile.  This decision has been widely debated, with many arguing it unfairly favored Verstappen by allowing him to pit for fresher tires granting him the victory.

Mercedes was clearly unhappy about the decision and fought to make things right. Speaking of this, Peter Windsor shared his two cents on the situation saying, “Mercedes gave up on that far too soon. They probably legally reached the limit within what you can do in Formula 1, but you can take it beyond Formula 1.” 

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Explaining the consequences Windsor added, “I have now established that. That could have been taken outside Formula 1 to the European Commission, and it could have been taken further. But they sort of acquiesced pretty quickly on that, and Lewis had to live with all that.” 

Concluding his statement on the matter, Windsor complimented Hamilton saying, “I think he could still drive beautifully at Ferrari. I really do.” That being said, the former Ferrari general manager has high hopes for the 7-time champion in Ferrari and we will have to wait to see what happens in 2025.

Recap of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

During the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, the safety car deployed gave Verstappen a chance to change his tires giving him a grip advantage over Hamilton. With fresher tires, Verstappen swiftly overtook Hamilton on the 57th lap, clinching his first Formula One title in the process.

Despite Hamilton’s tire preservation strategy, the advantage provided by the fresh rubber proved to be the best bet for Verstappen. Hamilton’s team lodged two appeals following the race, contesting the legality of the decision that allowed cars to pass the safety car.

However, both appeals were ultimately denied, confirming Verstappen as the champion. This came with legal implications from Mercedes trying to get justice for the wrongdoing against Hamilton during the race. But now, it looks like Mercedes is done fighting for the title, and it’s time for them to move on to the next phase in their life.

Do you think Ferrari will be what Lewis Hamilton needs to become the 8th-time world champion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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