Lewis Hamilton suffered brutal heartbreak in the decider of the Formula One 2021 season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after the greatest season we’ve seen for a while ended under a cloud.
Heading into the race level on points with Max Verstappen, who was on pole for the final race, everything was set for an epic conclusion.
The Brit got the perfect start, getting ahead and ultimately pulling away, with only a personal error or mechanical failure standing in the way of the title and Hamilton, two hands were firmly on his eighth world crown.
Nicholas Latifi crashed into the barrier with a handful of laps remaining, bringing out a Safety Car. Verstappen jumped into the pits for fresh soft tyres to give him an advantage should there be any more racing, although the rules suggested there wasn’t enough laps remaining.
Michael Masi then appeared to interpret the rules to allow a lap of racing and with fresh soft tyres vs old hards, there’s only one winner, ending such an incredible season controversially, outraging vast amounts of fans around the world, which ultimately led to Masi leaving Formula One.
An inquest into what unfolded deemed Masi to have acted in good faith, adding that ‘human error’ was the reason for his actions.
michael masi
When the race had finished, despite admitting it had been ‘manipulated’ on his team radio, Hamilton was exemplary in his public appearances, including on the podium and with his rival, Verstappen.
After that and Mercedes’ failed appeals, he went off-grid, not even posting on social media for months, sparking retirement rumours, although they’re now way behind the seven-time champion.
The people closest to Hamilton following the controversy were his family and colleagues, who have the best knowledge of how he dealt with the heartache.
IMOLA, ITALY - NOVEMBER 01: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP, second placed Valtteri Bottas of Finland and Mercedes GP and Mercedes GP Executive Director Toto Wolff celebrate after the Mercedes GP team won a 7th consecutive F1 Constructors Championship during the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari on November 01, 2020 in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images)
Teammate at the time, Valtteri Bottas, has revealed what the Brit was like, speaking candidly to CRASH, the Finn has said: “We just saw each other after the season when we had some team events. We had a brief chat, and yeah, he was pretty quiet about it. He just couldn't believe it had happened.
“I can be pretty composed if I need to, but inside for sure he would have had a tough time within himself. It took him a long time to recover from that.
“I'm sure. I think it would be the same for everyone who is battling for the title and you lose it in the last race, with, let's say, special circumstances. It's a hard one to accept. It can put you off in terms of how much you love the sport.”