Lewis Hamilton lost the 2021 Formula One world championship. Why? Because Max Verstappen defeated him. Yes, it is one of the reasons definitely. But not only is this the reason why Hamilton lost the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Perhaps, he lost it because the F1 director Michael Masi made an unfair decision at the very last moment that was meant to figure out the if Hamilton was going to break Schumacher’s record or Verstappen was winning his first championship.
This accusation against Masi has already made him lose his job. However, once again, after a year of the incident, the allegations of Michael Masi for making an unfair judgment in 2021 are being re-ignited by Mercedes principal Toto Wolff.
The controversy that developed back in 2021 when Max Verstappen won his first title is one of the never-ending topics. And seems like it will not end, even after Hamilton paves the way for the eighth title this or next year. Some fans believe that Lewis is already an eight-time world champion, and Verstappen stole his title. One of those believers is the Sky Sports journalists Ted Kravitz, who made a claim that Verstappen stole Hamilton’s trophy during the 2022 season. As a result, the whole Sky Network was boycotted by team Red Bull.
The Wrong Decision Made In 2021, Breached “The Principle Of Fairness”, Says Toto Wolff
What happened in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 was ‘inappropriate’ and is even accepted by FIA principal Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Lewis Hamilton was all set to win the eighth championship to mark the biggest event of Formula One to date. But, the long, seasoned battle with the Red Bull ace, max Verstappen, ultimately led him to lose it. In the closing laps of Yas Marina in 2021, the plot changed. Following the safety car rules, the F1 director allowed the front cars to unlap each other, and as Verstappen was on fresh tyres he succeeded in overpassing Hamilton.
Just when Masi announced the decision, Toto Wolff and the rest, except team Red Bull knew something was wrong. Wolff was so frustrated that he smashed his headphones in anger. This incident was later criticized by his rival, Christian Horner. Even after a year going no presence in the title contention, Toto Wolff could not forget the wound he got in 2021. Recently, speaking with TIMES, he said, “It was tough after the last race of the 2021 season. I have always liked the principle that the stopwatch never lies.”
In addition, Toto reckons that the team which wins the championship is the one that deserves to win. However, what happened in 2021 was different. According to Toto Wolff, at the end of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, one individual, which is basically Michael Masi, made decisions that were not present in the rule book. As a result, an unbelievable outcome was recorded. The Silver Arrows boss says, “That is a moment when you fall in love with the sport. [Because of the error], the principle of fairness was breached.”