Christian Horner Claims Mercedes Made Critical Error in Abu Dhabi, Leading to Lewis Hamilton’s Title
In a candid assessment of the infamous 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner asserted that Mercedes “f*cked up” on the day Lewis Hamilton lost the Formula 1 World Championship to Max Verstappen. The event, which marks its second anniversary on December 12, concluded with a controversial one-lap shootout between Hamilton and Verstappen due to a failure in enforcing Safety Car rules.
The pivotal moment came when Verstappen, on fresh soft tires after a pit stop, overtook Hamilton at the Turn 5 hairpin, securing both the race victory and the World Championship. Hamilton, vying for a record eighth crown, accused the race of being “manipulated” over team radio.
Horner, appearing on Sky’s A League Of Their Own gameshow, placed blame on Mercedes, highlighting a strategic error. He mentioned that Mercedes left Hamilton on old hard tires for the restart, leaving him vulnerable against Verstappen on fresher rubber.
Horner chuckled when asked about the race’s notoriety, stating, “I have absolutely no idea. Mercedes f*cked up. They left poor Lewis out there on tires that had done pretty much most of the race, and we’d pitted with Max, so he was on a fresh set of tires. Max made the move.”
Furthermore, Horner revealed that Verstappen’s decisive pass at the hairpin was not originally planned. Verstappen, struggling with cramp in his left leg, improvised the move, catching Hamilton by surprise.
After the race, Horner shared, “Max told us he didn’t intend to overtake him there, but he got cramp behind the Safety Car, and he couldn’t feel his left foot properly, so he thought: ‘Oh, f*ck it, I’m going [for it] anyway.’ And then, when they were going down the straight, he was trying to wake his left foot up to hit the brakes for the next chicane.”
The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix remains a controversial and memorable moment in Formula 1 history, with opinions divided on the race’s outcome.
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