WATCH: James Vowles takes a dig at Max Verstappen over 2021 title, claims ‘unfair victory will cause regrets for life’

Max Verstappen emerged victorious in the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP in the most controversial way possible. Now, Ex-Mercedes Strategy Director and Williams Team Principal James Vowles has claimed that an unfair title is regretted by the winner throughout their life.

WATCH: James Vowles takes a dig at Max Verstappen over 2021 title, claims ‘unfair victory will cause regrets for life’

James Vowles (Via @highperformance/YouTube) and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)

Formula 1 is an intense sport where every second matters. Teams work extra hard just to improve even the littlest bit of a second over others. However, sometimes some teams and drivers resort to unfair means to gain an advantage. Now, James Vowles opened up about his feelings towards Max Verstappen‘s controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi championship victory where the Dutchman won the title against Lewis Hamilton in controversial circumstances.

The Williams Team Principal highlighted that anyone could win a championship if provided with the right machinery. Anyhow, Vowles indirectly hinted at the controversial 2021 championship battle in Abu Dhabi. The Briton claimed that if a championship is won by unfair and unsportsmanlike behavior, then it will cause regrets for life.

You can win a world championship. But if you've done so in a way that is not fair and sportsmanlike.... You will have regrets for life.
Vowles said on the High Performance podcast.
YouTube video

Additionally, the Briton pointed out that winning a championship in this manner wouldn’t be the most impressive thing. A championship won by unfair means is obsolete, mudded, and impure according to the 44-year-old. Hence, Verstappen’s victory at the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP wasn’t recognized by Williams’ principal as he believed that it was won under an unfair situation.

FS Video
Yeah you'll have a championship to your name... But it would be obsolete, it would be mudded and it wouldn't be pure.

Max Verstappen might be a candidate to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes

Apart from the usual preparations for the 2024 season, other major advancements for the subsequent season are already in the works. Lewis Hamilton‘s move to Ferrari means that one driver seat is empty at Mercedes for any driver to take. However, Toto Wolff did not fully dismiss the idea of Verstappen filling up the empty seat sometime soon.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)

Even Verstappen did not rule out the possibility of potentially joining Mercedes next year to work with Brackley. The Dutchman explained that if a team really wants to acquire him in their arsenal, they will make efforts to make the reigning world champion join their team. Regardless, Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028 and would most likely respect that contract.

Hence, the 26-year-old wouldn’t be available on the market to join Mercedes anytime soon. Regardless, speculations keep surfacing about Verstappen’s entry into Mercedes following Hamilton’s exit. Nonetheless, time will tell about the advancements in the 2025 season as that season will contain a lot of changes on the grid in Formula 1.

In case you missed it: