Lewis Hamilton responded with a ‘severe look’ when he was asked one question about 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Follow us on Google Discover

The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has become one of the most uncomfortable subjects in the Formula 1 paddock. Lewis Hamilton, who lost the world championship to Max Verstappen, very rarely discusses it.

Hamilton and Verstappen were level on points heading to the finale at Yas Marina after one of the most intense title battles the sport had ever seen. The Mercedes driver controlled the race after passing his rival at the start, and was on the brink of an unprecedented eighth world championship.

But when Nicholas Latifi’s crash brought out the safety car, FIA race director Michael Masi didn’t correctly implement the race restart procedure. Had he done so, the Grand Prix would have concluded without another racing lap, confirming Hamilton’s coronation.

An investigation found that Masi had simply made a human error – not enough to change the result of the race, but enough to make it one of the most controversial sporting events in recent history.

Lewis Hamilton firmly insists that the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will always be a ‘scar’

In an interview with L’Equipe, Hamilton was asked whether his victory at last year’s British Grand Prix had ‘erased the memories’ of Abu Dhabi. This question prompted a ‘severe look’.

Hamilton ended a three-and-a-half-year victory drought at Silverstone, stretching back to the penultimate round of 2021 in Saudi Arabia. But even though he was in tears afterwards, he’s adamant that it didn’t heal the ‘scar’.

The British driver has already revealed that he entered a spiral of self-doubt post-Abu Dhabi. With Mercedes regressing in the ground-effect era, he wasn’t able to mount another title challenge.

• READ MORE: Jenson Button shares what he ‘planned’ to say to Lewis Hamilton in 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix interview

“You never erase your memories,” Hamilton said. “You carry them for life, forever. Exactly [like a scar]. After, there were the rollercoasters of emotions that I had not foreseen.

“Getting up each day, continuing to fight and falling again to get up again and again during 900 days. The questions that return all the time in the head, the challenges that follow one another.”

Lewis Hamilton reveals whether 2021 is his best F1 season

In the same interview, Hamilton was asked whether 2021 was the best season of his career. After a ‘long silence, he replied: “I don’t really remember all the season.”

He was then reminded of his fightback in Brazil, when he rallied from the back of the grid after a penalty to finish 10th in the Sprint, and then win the Grand Prix.

“Ah yes, the end-of-season dynamic was incredibly strong,” he recalled. “We had not benefited from evolutions in the car, but we managed to get performance out of it. I think yes, it was one of my most solid years.”

Mercedes sporting director Andrew Shovlin recalls that Hamilton made his rivals look ‘silly’ as he carved his way through the pack that day. Verstappen pushed the boundaries of the rules when defending his lead but even he couldn’t resist.

Reflecting on 2021 himself, Verstappen said he doesn’t miss battling Hamilton, but is grateful for the experience. He wouldn’t be drawn on whether it was his best season, arguing that each of his four championships are different in character.