What F1 CEO said in private as he watched Lewis Hamilton lose 2021 title at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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The 2021 Formula 1 season finale will go down in history as the most dramatic end to a season ever, and former FIA chief turned Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer has revealed Stefano Domenicali’s immediate reaction to the infamous showdown.

After leading the majority of the race and having one hand already on the championship trophy, Lewis Hamilton’s hopes of an eighth world championship came crashing down upon the introduction of a late safety car.

Hamilton stayed out, while Max Verstappen pitted for fresh tyres, and the rest is history. It’s one of the most divisive events to have taken place in a Grand Prix in modern history, due to the number of rules that were stretched before racing resumed for the final lap of the race.

Verstappen’s future teammate at Red Bull, Isack Hadjar, remembers ‘smashing the TV’ during the live broadcast. The Frenchman was ‘all in’ for Hamilton achieving the unprecedented feat of securing an eighth world title.

The Mercedes star somehow found the strength to stick around for the podium celebrations, which left one of his former rivals in awe.

Sebastian Vettel is still amazed by Hamilton’s ‘incredible composure’ to this day, and the 40-year-old is also still on the hunt for his eighth title to this day as well.

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

Stefano Domenicali was calling for a red flag after Nicolas Latifi crashed in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer made an appearance on the Pit Talk podcast within the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix paddock and was asked about his experience of the infamous title-deciding race that took place four years prior.

The Austrian executive was working for the FIA at the time, as the Secretary General for Sport.

Bayer had held the position since 2017 and watched the race from the confines of his own office alongside Stefano Domenicali, who was appointed as the CEO of Formula 1 ahead of the 2021 campaign.

During his chat with former F1 driver Robert Doornbos, Bayer recalled, “I was just talking about this yesterday, 2021, my last year with the FIA.

“I was down here in my office watching the race with Stefano Domenicali. Halfway through the race, I said, Stefano, I think that’s it. Lewis was, you know, he was going to be the eight-time world champion.

“He was way ahead. There was nothing that possibly could have happened. So I packed my bag, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to leave soon after the race. Thank you for the season.’ Gave him a hug.

“And whilst I gave him a hug, he was watching the TV, and he started jumping up and down, yelling in Italian. I said, ‘What’s going on, what’s going on?’ And then he started to say, ‘Red flag, red flag!’

“I said, ‘I don’t know what they’re doing.’ And anyways, you know the outcome. Max became the world champion. What an evening, it was a long night. I unpacked my bag again and skipped the flight.”

• READ MORE: Jonathan Wheatley’s fresh reveal about Abu Dhabi 2021 shows Max Verstappen and Red Bull exactly what they’ve lost

A red flag in Abu Dhabi may have seen a very different outcome in the 2021 title fight between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen

The main reason why Hamilton was at such a disadvantage at the end of the safety car period was due to the fact that Verstappen had bolted on a fresh set of soft compound tyres.

One could argue that Hamilton had just as much of an opportunity as his title rival, but that’s where the stretching of the rules comes into play.

Mercedes were under the impression that the race would end under a safety car, as per the regulations that stated all lapped cars must unlap themselves and catch up to the pack before racing resumed.

If Hamilton had pitted, Verstappen would likely have stayed out and been rewarded with track position over the Silver Arrow. If the race had then ended under a yellow flag, the Red Bull star would have been crowned world champion.

However, if a red flag was called for by the race director, Michael Masi, then both drivers would have been able to fit a new set of tyres, and we would have been subject to a four-lap shootout for the title.