Exclusive: Perry McCarthy Labels 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix a ‘Robbery’ of Lewis Hamilton’s World Title

The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will always be a polarizing topic between F1 fans. Despite an enthralling championship battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen from race 1, the last few laps of the finale will always define how the season is looked at. For ex-F1 driver, Perry McCarthy, it was one of the most “disgusting” moments he’d witnessed in all of the sport’s illustrious years.

In an exclusive conversation with The SportsRush, McCarthy said, “I can absolutely guarantee you, that nearly everyone inside Formula 1 thinks that, that was Hamilton’s championship.” How the events of that night in Abu Dhabi unfolded has left a bitter taste in the ex-Williams and Benetton test driver’s mouth. “He [Hamilton] was completely and absolutely robbed of it. And it was one of the most disgusting things we will ever see in Formula 1,” added McCarthy.

Max Verstappen won his maiden title that night. Since then, the Dutchman has gone on to register two more consecutive world titles with Red Bull. On the other hand, Mercedes and Hamilton have failed to be anywhere near a championship fight. But two years on, the Silver Arrows find themselves fighting for silverware once again at the same venue where it was snatched from them.

Toto Wolff relives Lewis Hamilton nightmare to prepare for Ferrari fight

As we head into the final race of the 2023 season, Mercedes and Ferrari are locked into a battle for P2 in the Constructors’ championship. Mercedes currently holds the lead in that race. But only 4 points separate the Scuderia from the Silver Arrows.

Speaking about the ‘championship‘ fight, Wolff took a brutal jab at Michael Masi who orchestrated the controversial events of 2021. “I think we’re going there pretty much equal on points. With a proper race director, so that should be fine. And then let’s race. It’s all down to the last weekend. [Ferrari] are very quick and done a good job. I think we could have been on par today. But the result shows something different. So let’s race.”

If current form is a decider, then, it looks like Ferrari will beat Mercedes to P2 at the championship finale in Abu Dhabi this race weekend.

Post Edited By: Shreya Sanjeev
ferrari Lewis Hamilton Max Verstappen Mercedes Perry McCarthy Red Bull

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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