The driver confessed his displeasure with losing the championship, but states he is at peace.
Lewis Hamilton has spoken again about the controversial 2021 race in Abu Dhabi, where he lost the chance to secure an eighth world title. Despite considering it a “robbery,” three years later he recalls it “in peace.”
The FIA deemed what happened in that race to be simply a “human error.” With that victory, Verstappen won the title by just 1 point. Although Hamilton was incredulous and very affected at the end of the race, he did not hesitate to congratulate the Dutchman on his first title.
Subsequently, images could be seen of the British driver going through a very difficult moment and being comforted by his father. About that moment, he said to GQ:
“Was I robbed? Obviously. I mean, you know the story. But I think what was really beautiful at that moment, what I take away, was that my dad was with me. And we had gone through this huge rollercoaster of life together, with ups and downs.”
He points out that he has chosen to remember the good from what happened that day:
“And the day that hurt me the most, he was there, and the way he raised me was always to stand up, with my head held high,” he explained.
“Obviously, I went to congratulate Max, not realizing the impact that would have, but I was also very aware that there was a mini-me watching. That was the decisive moment of my life. And I really felt that way”
The controversial decision by Michael Masi, the race director at the time, is still remembered today. Hamilton has admitted it’s something he still thinks about, though he wanted to make it clear that he is “at peace with it,” but, “if I see a clip, I still feel it,” he concluded.
