F1 News: Toto Wolff Speaks Out On Controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi GP

Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff has spoken out on the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Mercedes chief barely mentions the moment which has gone down as one of the most controversial in the history of the sport.

The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ended in dramatic fashion as Red Bull's Max Verstappen clinched his first Formula 1 World Championship, beating Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in the final lap of the race. Verstappen had been trailing Hamilton throughout the race, but a late safety car incident allowed Verstappen, on fresher and faster tyres, to challenge Hamilton for the lead.

When the race restarted on the final lap, Verstappen successfully overtook Hamilton to secure the win and the championship. The controversial part comes in as then-race director Michael Masi decided to only let the lapped cars which were in between

Hamilton and Verstappen un-lap themselves before the safety car came in. Usually in these circumstances all lapped cars would un-lap themselves before the racing is resumed or the race would go until the end with the safety car. However, there was not enough time to let all of the lapped cars go so Masi decided to go for the option which would end the championship with a race rather than under safety car conditions.

During an appearance on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Wolff commented:

“Both drivers start with equal points into this race; best man in the best machinery wins, and the best man that day didn’t win.

“The interesting phenomenon was that we as a team, and Lewis as a driver, we didn’t get a lot of credit or sympathy because we won so many times. And we became the underdog at that moment.”

Although many fans have struggled to move on from the controversy, Mercedes and Hamilton are looking ahead to getting back on form. The seven-time champion has expressed his desire to continue racing until he achieves his eighth title.