The controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was brought out again. This time it was the FIA safety car driver Bernd Maylander who recently opened up on how he was left stunned by the move that denied Lewis Hamilton his eighth world championship.
Maylander recently revealed the state he was in on a contentious night. He said that he walked through the hospitality area after he dived into the pit lane.
“I walked through the hospitality area with my helmet on and sat down at the back of the harbour first. I had to be on my own first to think, ‘what just happened?’” ~ Bernd Mayländer, @F1 safety car driver, since 2000
That’s *twenty-three years*.#F1xedpic.twitter.com/H2ge7Q66mk
— Late Brakers (@LateBrakers) March 27, 2023
Commanded by the then-race director Michael Masi, the safety car driver had to dive into the pit lane and leave the drivers to race one last lap and determine their destiny.
However, the man with 23 years of safety car driving experience was left perplexed by the decision of Masi. He further said that he walked through with his helmet on and first sat down at the back of the harbor.
Following this, he said that he immediately started to think about the move triggered by the race director. The move that brought Max Verstappen right behind Hamilton with new tires. However, the safety car driver later on insisted that everything was fair and square.
The aftermath of the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP safety car
When the safety car was lifted, Hamilton and Verstappen had one last lap to decide their fate. As the race began for supremacy, the Mercedes driver tried hard to keep his lead but failed.
The Dutchman dived inside to take the lead; from then on, he was hard to catch. As the 25-year-old driver fended off one last try to the Silver Arrows ace, he held off his nerve and crossed the chequered flag.
With this, Verstappen became a world champion for the first time, while Hamilton lost the chance to be the greatest in the sport by just a few seconds. Following this, the Briton went off the public eye for months and is now ready to trade something bigger, while Mercedes, Red Bull, FIA, and F1 battled controversies.
Maylander revealed Lewis Hamilton always hides behind Safety Car
Maylander, who has over two decades of experience driving the safety car, has revealed some interesting information lately. Info on seven-time world champion Hamilton.
The 51-year-old who saw multiple racers driving behind him in all these years clearly remembers one special habit of the Mercedes star, as he told Auto Motor Und Sport.
The 38-year-old has a habit of hiding behind the Safety Car, recalled Maylander. He further stated that, at times, it used to get tough for him to find him, as he was in the blind spot.
