Valtteri Bottas has looked back on the 2021 World Championship showdown when Max Verstappen snatched the title from Lewis Hamilton’s nose because then Formula 1 racing director Michael Masi ordered a controversial reorganization of the field. Hamilton was “pretty silent”, reveals Bottas.
Actually, Lewis Hamilton would have liked to have celebrated his eighth world title in Formula 1 at the beginning of December 2021 and would have become the sole record world champion – past Michael Schumacher. But the events of the last race in Abu Dhabi meant that the Brit had to cede the title to Max Verstappen in the Red Bull, who on fresher tires passed the Silver Arrow shortly before the end of the race.
Bottas now revealed to “crash.net” how Hamilton was long after the much-discussed Grand Prix. “We saw each other at some team events after the season,” said the Finn. “We spoke briefly and yes he was pretty quiet about the last race. He just couldn’t believe what had happened.”
If something like that had happened to him himself, he would probably have remained calm on the outside, Bottas suspected: “But inside I would have found it difficult to figure it all out with myself.”
It took Hamilton some time to recover from the events in Abu Dhabi, Bottas said. “That would have been the case for everyone who is fighting for the title and loses it in the last race under – I would say – special circumstances. That is difficult to accept,” explained the 33-year-old, looking at race director Michael Masi, who ( contrary to the rules “only”) sent parts of the field to lap back during a safety car phase to enable a direct duel between Hamilton and Verstappen, which the Brit finally lost despite being in the lead on used tires.
In any case, Bottas was pleased that Hamilton, who had disappeared for a long time and only reported back with the test drives at the beginning of the year, was still active in Formula 1.
Bottas: It was difficult for Hamilton at the beginning of the season
“The whole thing can really put you off your love for this sport,” analyzed Bottas, who has been active for Alfa Romeo since 2022 and is now no longer driving alongside but against Hamilton. And sometimes in direct duels on the track.
Especially at the beginning of the season Mercedes could not keep up with the top teams like Red Bull or Ferrari. “I don’t think that was easy to accept for a driver like Lewis, who is used to always fighting for the title and often winning,” said Bottas.
In the first races it was also noticed that the events from Abu Dhabi were still in his former colleague, the Finn continued: “But now he’s back again.”