Lewis Hamilton expressed his conviction that he was “obviously robbed” of a record-breaking eighth world championship at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In that pivotal race, Hamilton, driving for Mercedes, was in a tight title battle with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
As the race neared its conclusion, Hamilton was leading with Verstappen closely behind. However, a crash by Williams driver Nicholas Latifi brought out a safety car. Race director Michael Masi’s decision to allow only the lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to return to the lead lap caused widespread controversy.
“Was I robbed? Obviously. 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,” Hamilton told GQ.
“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. And I obviously went to congratulate Max, and not realizing 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.”
This decision set up a dramatic last-lap showdown between Hamilton and Verstappen, with the latter ultimately securing victory and the championship. Hamilton has since reflected on the race, admitting that it is still something he thinks about.
Hamilton recounted the emotional roller coaster of that moment, highlighting the presence of his father and the impact it had on him. He acknowledged the defining nature of the moment and the conscious effort he made to maintain composure, particularly with a younger audience watching.
“[There were] brutal scars! Incredible scars and we will never get over them, in a way. They became scars and there are moments when you think ‘how could that happen? We know how it happened,” he told Motorsport.com.
“But I don’t want to waste a minute [thinking] about the reasons [why it happened], because that would give the guy (Masi) too much credit. He’s just an idiot who made the wrong decision.”
Despite the passage of time, the bitterness of that defeat lingers for Hamilton and Mercedes. Masi was subsequently sacked by the FIA due to his decision regarding the safety car procedure. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has been outspoken in his criticism of Masi, branding him an “idiot.”
Since the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hamilton has faced challenges on the track, while Verstappen has enjoyed success, winning consecutive drivers’ world championships. The scars of that race remain for Hamilton and his team, serving as a reminder of what might have been.
