Toto Wolff recalls the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP and denies being depressed or sad over the controversial incident.
The 2021 Abu Dhabi GP remains one of the most controversial races in Formula 1 history. Max Verstappen won his first F1 title after overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the chaotic event.
The controversy came from race director Michael Masi’s handling of a late safety car.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has openly criticized Masi’s decision in the past. Recently, the Austrian once again spoke about the 2021 race and Masi’s role in it.
Lewis Hamilton was close to winning his eighth world championship at the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP. He had shown strong performances throughout the season and was leading the race.
However, a controversial decision by Michael Masi changed the race’s outcome dramatically. The 46-year-old restarted the race on lap 57 at the Yas Marina circuit, allowing only lapped cars between Hamilton and Max Verstappen to overtake.
This led to a final-lap showdown, with the Dutchman overtaking Hamilton to win the championship. After an FIA investigation, Masi was removed from his role as race director. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff expressed his frustration, saying he felt intense anger rather than sadness.
I felt angry, not depressed or sad, just angry that an individual was able to take away an eighth championship from the best driver in the world by a bad decision. But you have to put it into context, there are dictators around the world and politicians that cause so much pain that it is in no way comparable to Lewis losing the eighth title or for us as a team.
Toto Wolff said High Performance Podcast
Lewis Hamilton was just one race away from becoming the best driver in the history of Formula 1. However, the politics played against him was just an unfair decision that took away his title and prevented him from creating history.
However, Wolff acknowledged that, in the bigger picture, issues like dictators or harmful politicians are far worse. Compared to those, losing the eighth title feels less important, though it was frustrating for the team.
Toto Wolff reveals Lewis Hamilton learned to manage his emotions after Abu Dhabi GP
The Abu Dhabi GP was undoubtedly devastating blow for the seven-time-world champion Lewis Hamilton. His reaction to the loss was a mix of shock, disappointment, and disbelief.
Hamilton was visibly emotional during the post-race interviews, and it was clear that the defeat had taken a significant toll on him. But recently, Toto Wolff revealed that the Briton was normal after a few days of the incident and learned to manage his emotions very strongly.
But the anger of that moment of a person, but even Lewis learned to manage his emotions very strongly and after a few days was in an okay space. It still goes with us because of the unfairness that happened on this particular day.
Toto Wolff stated
Despite forgetting the past, it was still a heartbreaking moment for Hamilton, his fans, and Mercedes. Wolff acknowledged that the unfairness of that day still affects them even four years after the incident.