Hamilton: ‘This can’t happen to anyone ever again’

Jon Wilde
Lewis Hamilton mops his head with a towel after the Abu Dhabi GP. Yas Marina December 2021. Heartbreak

Lewis Hamilton mops his head with a towel after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Yas Marina December 2021.

Lewis Hamilton wants to be confident nobody in F1’s future will experience the heartbreak he experienced in Abu Dhabi last year.

The seven-time former World Champion has finally reflected on the agony of being denied a record-breaking eighth Drivers’ title in the cruellest of ways.

Not via an accident, a mistake or a problem with his car, but through the decisions made by race director Michael Masi – who has now been removed from his job.

While the FIA stopped short of directly blaming Masi in their announcement of incoming changes to the management of grands prix, the measures they have taken are a clear signal that the governing body, like Hamilton’s Mercedes team, see him as having been at fault.

Speaking at Mercedes’ launch of the W13 car, in which he will try to avenge being denied the title by Max Verstappen, Hamilton said he is keen for there to be no repeat of what he had been through, either for himself or any other driver.

“What I will say, while we can’t change the past, and nothing will ever really be able to change the way and how I felt at the time and how I feel about the situation, it’s good to see the FIA are taking steps to make improvements,” said Hamilton.

“I think accountability is key, and we have to use this moment to make sure this never happens to anyone else in the sport ever again.

“Everything that’s been said by the FIA, I welcome that.

“But we have to make sure we keep a close eye and make sure we actually are seeing those changes. And rules are applied fairly and accurately, consistently.”

Masi has been replaced by two new race directors in Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich on a rotational basis, supported by a remote officiating panel likened to football’s VAR system, while Safety Car procedures – a vital factor in what happened at Yas Marina – will be re-assessed.

 

Asked whether those changes would restore his trust, Hamilton said: “I probably put faith and trust alongside each other.

“Trust obviously can be lost in the blink of an eye or a flick of a finger.

“To earn trust is something that’s built over a long period of time. So while I didn’t see that coming, this first announcement is perhaps the first step of that.

“But that doesn’t necessarily change everything just yet. We have to see actual action. And I think it will take a bit of time.”

 

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