Christian Horner claims Lewis Hamilton handled the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP disappointment with  ‘respect’ and dignity’

Lewis Hamilton lost the 2021 championship in dramatic fashion to Max Verstappen, as the win controversially escaped from his hands in the final lap of the race.

Christian Horner claims Lewis Hamilton handled the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP disappointment with  ‘respect’ and dignity’

Christian Horner and Lewis Hamilton (Via IMAGO)

The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was arguably the most controversial race in the modern era of Formula 1 and motorsport in general. The title decider between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen ended chaotically with a breach in regulations, handing the title to Verstappen.

Before the final lap elapsed, Nicholas Latifi crashed into the wall. When the safety car was brought out, there were four lapped cars between Verstappen and Hamilton. The Dutchman had opted to pit for new tires, while Hamilton saw no need to do so due to the cars protecting him.

YouTube video

However, race director Michael Masi let the lapped cars between the two past the safety car, which was against the regulations. This gave Verstappen a free shot at Hamilton with brand-new soft tires, effectively handing the championship to him.

FS Video

Christian Horner was ecstatic after the result but did express sportsmanship by congratulating Hamilton on a brilliant season. Horner claims that Hamilton handled the loss of the title with respect and dignity despite suffering a huge disappointment after leading the whole race.

I felt the way that Lewis handled that disappointment after the race, hats off to him because again, he would have been even more disappointed. Record-breaking World Championship has just disappeared, but he handled himself with dignity and respect. I shook his hand in the drivers room after the race, and he had the good grace to say well done.
Christian Horner said on the Secrets of Success podcast

Hamilton reciprocated the respect he received from Horner by congratulating the Red Bull team on its victory. The Briton has completely changed his approach to the public since, though, unfollowing everyone on most social media and taking largely fewer interviews.

FIA president describes the approach he used to deal with the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP

The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix set in place a chain reaction of events that changed the course of F1. With Red Bull finishing on a high note, they carried their momentum into the following seasons. Also, the race director Michael Masi was fired for his lapse in judgment, inciting further chaos within the sport.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem
Mohammed Ben Sulayem (Via IMAGO)

The FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem had come into his position just a week after the incident and described his reaction and approach to the situation. Sulayem claimed that a ‘reactive’ approach was not ideal, and having a plan was essential to effectively solve the major Abu Dhabi problem.

Abu Dhabi overshadowed everything. A week later, I was elected president and the first question was what I was going to do with it. We looked at it. I’ll be honest: I hate being reactive. I always say: failing to plan is a plan to fail. Have a plan for everything.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem said, as reported by PlanetF1

The Abu Dhabi title decider drove a stark divide between two halves of the F1 community. One half wants the situation resolved, and the other half wishes to move on. Either way, most major figures in the sport have preferred to abstain from radical statements about the race to avoid flak from fans on either side.

In case you missed it: