Karun Chandhok recalled Max Verstappen’s 2021 championship fiasco where Red Bull and Mercedes tried to sway people’s opinion.
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, 2021 Abu Dhabi GP
Max Verstappen clinched the 2021 F1 world championship against Lewis Hamilton under shady circumstances. Multiple individuals still believe that the FIA worked against Hamilton and simply handed the title to Verstappen on a silver platter. Ex-Red Bull driver Karun Chandhok recalled the season and how both teams tried to sway people’s opinions.
The 2021 Abu Dhabi GP witnessed an uncertain call during the final few laps, a safety car enabled Max Verstappen to win the championship. The entire world was divided over who actually deserved the title. Karun Chandhok recalled that there was a lot of pressure from the paddock during the races of the 2021 season.
It was clearly a weekend and a season where there was so much pressure from the paddock
Karun Chandhok said in the Reddit AMA session
Additionally, Red Bull and Mercedes tried their best to defend Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton respectively. Hence, upon this, Chandhok highlighted that people from within the two teams were saying different things. Both outfits tried to ‘sway’ people’s opinions in their respective favor to gain more support and sympathy over the situation.
You had all these people from within the Red Bull and the Mercedes camps telling you things, trying to get you to sway your opinion.
Karun Chandhok added
People ‘still upset and emotional’ after controversial end to 2021 Abu Dhabi GP
Max Verstappen was crowned the 2021 world champion despite the controversial end to the race. However, people were upset and emotional to witness Hamilton’s failed attempt at breaking his and Michael Schumacher‘s joint world record of seven WDCs. Additionally, Chandhok noted that the entire race was ‘very difficult to break down’ after almost three years of the incident.
It was such a difficult race to try and break down. And even today there are people who are still upset and emotional when we talk about that race.
Karun Chandhok noted
Regardless of the controversial end to the race, Verstappen has gone on to win two more world championships since then. Additionally, Verstappen is also extremely close to amassing his fourth championship this year. Hence, the Dutchman has never looked back in terms of performing well since the 2021 season.
