“Poor Toto Wolf almost had a f****** heart attack,” Guenther Steiner recalls controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi GP

The season finale of 2021 came with controversy that puzzled the paddock, resulting in Max Verstappen dethroning Lewis Hamilton as World Champion

Toto Wolff and Guenther Steiner

The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw Lewis Hamilton narrowly miss out on becoming the greatest ever by securing his 8^th world title, courtesy of Dutch superstar Max Verstappen. The race seemed to be Hamilton’s for the taking, but safety car drama and a restart on the last lap saw Hamilton denied the record 8th world title, and Verstappen securing his maiden crown.

Guenther Steiner, current Haas team principal, has spoken out on Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff’s reaction to his driver being denied the title. In his new book, Steiner stated, “What do I think, then? Well, it was certainly very confusing. I remember sitting on the pit wall listening to the orders from the race director and thinking, ‘What the hell is happening here?’ At the time, it didn’t stack up to me, but at the same time, I didn’t know all the facts. It was very entertaining, though. Poor Toto [Wolff, Mercedes team principal] almost had a f***ing heart attack!”, revealing the agony Wolff was victim to in the events following the strange decision.

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Despite the whole situation having been interpreted as confusing by the majority, Steiner admitted it was entertaining for the fans, seeing the two title contenders, even on points, fighting it out on the very last lap. He ensured he maintained a neutral standpoint and didn’t back either side. He rather mentioned being more concerned with the poor performance of his own team that race. Steiner also believes that both teams should be satisfied having won a title each, and move on with a focus on future seasons.

The events of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix were unprecedented

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen via The National

Despite having driven like a true champion throughout 2021, Max Verstappen’s final win and dethroning of veteran Lewis Hamilton will always come with an asterisk. This is courtesy of the strange circumstances in which it occurred, almost seeming like the Dutchman was favored. 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton publicly stated that the race had been ‘manipulated’ on team radio, as only the lapped cars separating the competing pair were allowed to overtake the safety car. This was the circumstance that ultimately cost him the world title.

When asked about his stance on the matter, Steiner said, “Look, at the end of the day, both teams have won a world championship and good for them. Red Bull won the drivers’ and Mercedes the constructors’. I’d take either of those. Mercedes didn’t protest, so off we go. We move on.” He clearly hasn’t taken a side and doesn’t want to show bias toward either team.

Steiner tells Hamilton fans to 'MOVE ON' from Abu Dhabi and admits Wolff 'almost had a f***ing heart attack'

Guenther Steiner has explained the need to 'move on' from the events of the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, despite protests from Lewis Hamilton's fans.#F1 #Formula1
— F1PitlaneReport (@F1PitlaneReport) April 18, 2023

Toto Wolff and Mercedes went on to appeal the decision and demanded an investigation be launched into the matter, in the hope of the decision being overturned. To their dismay, the FIA deemed it to be ‘human error’, with race director Michael Masi being axed from his position in the following weeks. Verstappen and Red Bull were permitted to keep their Drivers’ titles, while Mercedes retained the Constructors’.

However, things again haven’t gone according to plan for the 25-year-old, as his start to 2023 has been more than difficult. With only 3 races having passed, his championship hopes are already looking to be more of a dream than a reality. He suffered an engine failure at the season premiere in Bahrain and crashed in Melbourne. In Jeddah, he managed to only cross the line in P7, a mediocre finish for a team and a driver who expects more and strives for greater heights.

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The events of the 2021 finale may have been bizarre, and never seen before. However, it was a race that will go down in history with the competitive wheel-to-wheel racing, tides turning, and strong controversy at the heart of it. It also signified the end of Hamilton’s dominance and the possible dawn of Verstappen’s. Nonetheless, the stress and agony the situation induced on Toto Wolff and Mercedes cannot be understated, as Steiner described.