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Hamilton looked poised to smash a record eighth world title until former FIA racing director Michael Massey failed to apply the rules correctly in the late safety car that changed the outcome of the world championship.
Massey’s handling of the safety car restart allowed Max Verstappen to take the championship from Hamilton on the final lap.FIA to Controversial Abu Dhabi ending​​ It was found that “human error” was responsible, but said Massey’s actions were “well-meaning”.
The seven-time world champion finally opened up about his championship heartbreak in a recent interview. Vanity FairSaid his “worst fear happened”.
said in an exclusive interview crash net At the Belgian Grand Prix, Bottas took a deep dive into how his then-teammate Hamilton – who went into a nearly two-month social media blackout – responded to the events of December 12.
“We only met when we had some team events after the season,” Bottas said.
“We had a brief conversation and yes, he was quiet about it. He couldn’t believe it happened.”
Despite his huge disappointment, Hamilton was praised for his decent performance in the defeat after the loss to Verstappen.
Asked if he thought he could be as calm as Hamilton, Bottas replied: “I can be calm if need be, but deep down he’s definitely going to have a tough time.
“I’m sure it took him a long time to recover from it. I think it’s the same for everyone fighting for the title and you lose in the last game, say, special circumstances. This is a hard one to accept.
“In terms of how much you love the sport, it’s going to let you down.”
Hamilton heads into 2022 with revenge, but his efforts to win an eighth drivers’ title with Mercedes have suffered setbacks tough start To the rules of the new era of F1.
Mercedes has been unable to challenge for victory so far this year, leaving Hamilton facing The prospect of losing records Becomes the only driver in F1 history to win at least one Grand Prix in every season he competes in.
“I think for a driver like Lewis, who is used to always fighting in the front row and is used to winning a lot, I think that’s hard to accept,” Bottas said. “you can see.
“But it looks like he’s in good shape right now, just really continuing to work. They’re on the right path now.
“Of course I could see him having a tough time in Abu Dhabi and at the beginning of the year, but now I think he’s back.”
Hamilton may have been knocked out by some, but Bottas warned his tough experience would only make him stronger and backed the Briton to win another title before retiring.
“Know Lewis, yes,” Bottas replied when asked if he thought Hamilton could bounce back and win another world title. “Usually, struggling just makes him stronger.
“I think he had a tough first half, but recently he’s back to form. I think he’s going to be strong in the future without a doubt.”
Bottas, who switched to Alfa Romeo following Mercedes’ exit, admitted it was “strange” to see his former team struggle after helping the German manufacturer win five consecutive constructors’ world titles.
“It’s absolutely weird for everyone to see this, but that’s F1 and you never know who’s doing it right and who’s doing it wrong,” he said.
“Of course they’ve come a long way after struggling and now they’re actually pretty close to the top.
“It’s a big team, a big machine in a way, and they’re generally very good at fighting difficult circumstances. I never doubted they couldn’t progress.”
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