The 2021 Abu Dhabi GP’s final lap is still fresh in the memories of most F1 fans. In the aftermath of the incident, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton went offline and was nowhere to be seen or heard. Speculations arose of the Briton potentially retiring from the sport, but he soon resurfaced. Two years since the incident, Lewis Hamilton tells Formula Passion he is now over it and holds no grudges.
The Abu Dhabi GP gave way to one of the most chaotic and controversial title showdowns in the history of F1. Nicholas Latifi’s crash with five laps to go is still a memory that still haunts every Mercedes fan out there.
It was all going well for Hamilton, who was just one lap away from his eighth world title when race control unexpectedly called the safety car back in, allowing Max Verstappen to use his fresher, softer tires to out-pace and out-maneuver the Briton to win his first-ever world championship. While the F1 world still stands divided over the incident, the ‘victim’ of it all has moved on.
Lewis Hamilton doesn’t concern himself with the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP anymore
With the Monza GP weekend hours away, Mercedes announced they had secured the services of Hamilton for another two years, which means the Briton will be racing with the Silver Arrows in his 40s. Addressing the same in a press conference, Hamilton also talked about his past with which he has now made his peace.
With a new outlook, he stated, “I am not a vindictive person. That’s the past. The only thing we can do is work hard to win more titles. Fans want to see hard-fought racing.”
Hamilton has certainly buried the hatchet from his past and now focuses on helping his team go back to the top. The Brackley-based outfit has struggled massively in the last two seasons after staying on the top for eight consecutive years. The drivers often struggle in the middle of the grid as the team seems to have gone back instead of making progress.
Mercedes and Hamilton keen on getting back to winning ways
After the 2021 season, Mercedes have not been the same. They have struggled to produce a championship-winning car, made poor strategy calls, and have often been a mid-table team. The eight-time consecutive constructor’s champions have rarely even won a GP, with their last win coming in the 2022 Brazil GP.
Hamilton’s woes with Mercedes have been much worse, given his last GP win came in 2021. However, the team still boasts of two of the best drivers on the grid, with each driver bringing their special set of skills to assert their dominance over the rest of the grid.
As such, nothing but the best is expected from the team- something they have failed to deliver for a long time. With the latest extension, Lewis will hope to climb back to the top spot with Mercedes and look to win a record eighth world championship.
