The 2021 Abu Dhabi controversy was a bitter pill to swallow for the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. The seven-time world champion had been denied his eighth world title by a late Safety Car and a controversial decision by the then Race Director, Michael Masi.
This meant that Max Verstappen went on to lift his maiden world title for Red Bull.
It was in fact Nicholas Latifi’s Williams that caused the Safety Car with five laps to go. In his own pursuit of Mick Schumacher’s Haas, Latifi lost control of his FW43B coming out of turn 14 and crashed heavily into the wall.
The resultant Safety Car due to his crash was going to be a pivotal factor in deciding the race winner and the world champion that night. But few considered what the Canadian driver would’ve felt, stimulating such a controversial turn of events. In fact, Sky Sports F1 presenter, Natalie Pinkham revealed that Latifi was the most stunned out of the lot.
“We were genuinely in shock. Not as much shocked as Nicholas Latifi, who walked across the pen towards me and his eyes out on sticks. And I just said, what just happened? And he said, I don’t know. I mean, I mean, we were literally lost for words,” she revealed on the Red Flags podcast.
LAP 54/58
Huge drama as Nicholas Latifi goes into the barriers – he reports that he is ok
But the Safety Car comes out and Max Verstappen immediately goes into the pits for some fresh tyres
We *could* have a final lap shootout here… WOW#AbuDhabiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/j9uUZxGPaW
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 12, 2021
Latifi’s shock was just a bitter foreshadowing of what was to follow. In the aftermath of the incident, the Williams driver was subjected to a lot of harsh criticism and abuse on social media from Hamilton and Mercedes fans.
Two sides of the coin for Latifi after 2021 Abu Dhabi title controversy
While Latifi was being unfairly lambasted by the fans on the internet, rival bosses started to poke fun at the incident. In fact, Red Bull team principal and CEO, Christian Horner jokingly commended the Canadian for handing over the title to his driver.
“He’ll be getting a lifetime supply of Red Bull, for sure,” Horner told Channel 4 as quoted by RacingNews365. Despite these comments, Latifi did face a crucial mental health challenge by being the center of attention in one of F1’s darkest days.
The Canadian racing ace continued with Williams for the following year and into the incumbent ground effects regulations. However, a lack of confidence behind the wheel and poor results meant that the Grove-based team sacked him at the end of the 2022 season.
Since then, Latifi has gone into the shadows, really making any appearance in motorsport conversations. The Canadian even began pursuing a career in academics by taking up an MBA course — possibly hinting at a hiatus or even permanent retirement from racing.
