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“Of course listening to it was very uncomfortable”: Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s Abu Dhabi GP controversy continues as Martin Brundle talks about the ‘disturbing’ footage unearthed recently

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"Of course listening to it was very uncomfortable": Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's Abu Dhabi GP controversy continues as Martin Brundle talks about the 'disturbing' footage unearthed recently

Martin Brundle feels that the unearthed audio footage moments before Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi is disturbing. 

The Verstappen-Hamilton controversy from last year’s season finale is far from over. After months of speculating whether Michael Masi made the right call, new audio and footage from the race has added fuel to fire.

These audio messages were part of a video released to public on December 16, but didn’t make he headlines until now. It provides fans with an unfiltered conversation between Red Bull Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley and Masi.

The former appeared to be asking the race director to allow all cars in front of Verstappen to pass the safety car. After that, he suggests that Masi restart the race right before the final lap. It was something which the Aussie ended up doing.

Whether Masi would’ve done the same if Wheatley hadn’t interfered, no one knows. But racing figures and journalists around the world admit that the footage is disturbing. Former F1 driver and Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle himself claims that listening to it was ‘really uncomfortable’.

“It’s not new news. And also I think you have to understand that it’s not necessarily telling Michael Masi something he didn’t already know,” Brundle said.

Also read: Max Verstappen is not willing to go through the same rough battle of 2021 with Lewis Hamilton in 2022

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes fans will be very upset, says Martin Brundle

Hamilton fans already felt that the Brit was robbed of his eighth world title two months ago. However, with the latest footage going around, they are bound to be even more upset.

“Of course it’s really uncomfortable. And a lot of people are unhappy. Lewis Hamilton fans, Mercedes fans,” Brundle continued.

“And you don’t even have to be a Lewis Hamilton fan to think that forever he should be an eight-time world champion. Because, for me, the really crucial regulation that wasn’t carried out was that the safety car should have come in at the end of the following lap.”

“Hugely unacceptable. I met so many fans that were new to F11 last year particularly. And fans in general. That were hugely upset by what happened.”

“It’s not pretty for Formula 1 at all. But I don’t think this audio today changes the really uncomfortable narrative of what happened.”

Also read: Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz and Real Madrid star Thibaut Courtois go up against each other in a virtual F1 duel

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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