Lewis Hamilton came up short in arguably the most dramatic climax to a Formula 1 World Championship in history.Going into the closing laps of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday night, the British sporting icon seemed to be on course to win a record-breaking eighth title to surpass Michael Schumacher.However, true to the dramatic nature of the 2021 season, the last nine months of action all came down to a head-to-head battle between Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Verstappen wins in Abu Dhabi
The Mercedes and Red Bull drivers had entered the final race of the season level on points and everything came down to the final few seconds due to a remarkable late safety car.
Once Nicholas Latifi put his Williams Racing car into the barriers, there was a tense wait to see whether or not Verstappen would be allowed to overtake the lapped cars in front of him.
As it turned out, the Dutchman was indeed able to get ahead of the trailing cars in controversial circumstances, giving him the chance to battle it out with Hamilton fresher tyres.
Hamilton loses in controversial style
All in all, it made for a remarkable and unique scenario which saw the Mercedes team and many F1 fans livid with the way that the championship was concluded.
As such, you could certainly have forgiven Hamilton for expressing his anger and disappointment in the post-race interview, but that couldn't have been further from the case.
Instead, the seven-time champion showed incredible class, respect and humility when he stepped in front of the cameras, making sure to congratulate Verstappen on his maiden F1 world title.
Classy interview from Hamilton
Just a few minutes after Hamilton had been on the receiving end of a crushing twist of fate, it really was to the Brit's credit that he carried himself with such dignity when taking to the press.
"Firstly, big congratulations to Max and to his team," the Mercedes driver said.
"But I'm so proud of my own team and we gave it absolutely everything. I've felt great in the car the last couple of months. We'll see what happens next year."
Pure class from Hamilton
Marry that to offering the watching public the very best of health amidst the difficult global situation as well as passing on his Christmas wishes, Hamilton could really hold his head up high.
Naturally, you get the feeling that we haven't seen the end of the drama as Mercedes will want to know all the answers behind what will undoubtedly be received as a controversial decision.
But no matter what happens in the coming hours or days, Hamilton can rest easy knowing that he's carried himself with the magnanimous respect that any sportsman or woman should aspired to do.
