Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton has shared that his father, Anthony, expressed his pride in him to him after he was defeated by Max Verstappen in the 2021 World Drivers’ Championship. A contentious decision made by FIA race director Michael Masi after a late safety car allowed the Dutchman to pass the Brit on the last lap of the championship race in Abu Dhabi, which cost the Mercedes driver the championship. Follow Formula 1 updates on InsideSport.IN
Lewis Hamilton told Vogue, “He embraced me, and I think he was like, ‘I want you to know how proud I am of you.’ Having your father embrace you in that way is one of the most profound things ever. Especially as you’ve grown up not many times having that.”
In the previous season, Verstappen and Hamilton were engaged in one of the most gripping title races in Formula One history. The rivalry between the two intensified throughout the year. The penultimate race in Saudi Arabia being particularly heated. Because of this, the Abu Dhabi finale was extremely emotionally charged, which was made worse by the FIA’s rulings.
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE FINAL LAP!!!
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT 🏆🤯 pic.twitter.com/ZL41FN8Re6
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) December 12, 2021
The Championship would be won by whoever won in the Middle East, and at first, it looked like Hamilton would cruise to an easy victory after taking the lead from the opening lap. Masi misapplied the rules regarding the completion of the procedure to permit racing in the final lap, but a late crash for Nicolas Latifi brought out the safety car.
Meanwhile, Verstappen overtook the seven-time champion while driving on fresher tyres to win his maiden championship, drawing criticism from many viewers who felt the result had been unfairly manipulated.
The two onboard views of that extraordinary final lap #AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/1FiDGddxjC
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 16, 2021
Hamilton has now shared the first words his father said to him as he exited the car at the Yas Marina track. The 103-time race winner frequently attributes his success in the sport to his father, who worked many jobs to pay for his karting involvement and guided him up the junior ranks.
It is not surprising that Hamilton believes he was cheated out of the championship by the actions of the FIA’s leadership. “My worst fears came alive and I was like, there’s no way they’re going to cheat me out of this. There’s no way. That won’t happen. Surely not. I knew what had happened. And what decisions had been made and why. It wasn’t right,” Hamilton added.
His father’s actions helped him process what happened at the end of the race. He describes the first post-race moments as the toughest of his life. “I remember just sitting there just in disbelief. Meanwhile, I realised I’ve got to undo my belts, I’ve got to get out of there, I’ve got to climb out of this thing, I’ve got to find the strength. Moreover, I had no strength. It was one of the toughest moments. Hence, I would say, that I’ve had in a long, long time,” Hamilton concluded.
Meanwhile, Hamilton is still chasing a record-breaking eighth world title after losing at Yas Marina Circuit. Race results will continue to hurt this season amid Mercedes’ predicament. Hamilton is more than 100 points behind his bitter rival Verstappen as the sport enters its summer break.
