In an interview with Austria's Kronen Zeitung newspaper, Wolff feels that the events of last month will leave an indelible mark on the sport.
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Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, has no trouble acknowledging that Max Verstappen deserved to win the 2021 Formula One title, emphasising that race control lost Lewis Hamilton his eighth title. After a wild and unpredictable year of racing, Hamilton and Verstappen approached the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021 equal on points.
In an interview with Austria’s Kronen Zeitung newspaper, Wolff feels that the events of last month will leave an indelible mark on the sport, claiming that the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will never be forgotten. The 50-year-old described the race’s closing lap as “outrageous,” and believes it would be a disgrace if the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton retired because of it.
“He is the most important part of our sport. It would be an indictment for the whole of Formula 1 if the best driver decides to quit because of outrageous decisions,” Wolff said.
While the Austrian lauds Hamilton’s ability to bounce back – something that former teammate Valtteri Bottas mentioned earlier this week – he acknowledges that what transpired at the end of last season was a difficult pill to swallow.
“No matter what hurdles he has faced, he has known all his life that he has to speak on the racetrack. But it is incredibly difficult for him until he has found a way between understanding right and wrong. It just takes time,” Wolff explained.
Ahead of race day, the Dutchman won pole position for the season finale ahead of his adversary, but Hamilton quickly overtook the Red Bull driver and cruised to the lead. Despite his teammate Sergio Perez’s best efforts, Verstappen was tearing away from the Red Bull and appeared to be on his way to a record-breaking eighth championship.
Nicholas Latifi’s Williams, however, collided with the barrier late in the race, leaving the car stuck on the course at Turn 14. Wolff was on the radio to race director Michael Masi, pleading with him not to use the Safety Car, fearful that Verstappen’s undercut would lose Hamilton the championship.
Mercedes also didn’t want to risk losing track position by pitting Hamilton, since the race was on the verge of ending under the Safety Car due to time constraints. When the Safety Car was activated, Red Bull pitted their driver, putting five lapped cars between the two main contenders.
