Former Mercedes boss: Hamilton’s 2021 F1 title was ‘stolen’ in Abu Dhabi

Norbert Haug, former Vice President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, has commented on the controversial ending of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, labelling it as “stolen” from Lewis Hamilton. 

The former journalist was instrumental in bringing Mercedes-Benz back into the motorsport fold in 1993, where the brand once again joined Formula 1 after a nearly 40-year absence from the sport. He facilitated partnerships with the likes of McLaren and Sauber, and under his leadership, the team saw substantial success.

Mercedes, the brand which supported Hamilton from a young age in his racing career, has been a substantial part of the racer’s life, with him using Mercedes powertrains throughout his entire F1 campaign. Seven championships, 105 wins, and 202 podiums later, the Briton is moving to Ferrari in the hopes of winning his eighth world championship—something that Haug is “very sad” to see.

Despite Hamilton leaving the Silver Arrows, the former Mercedes boss has high hopes for him. 

“It’s actually very sad for me, I have to say,” he said in discussion with Sky Germany. “I would never have thought that Lewis would switch again.

“I’ve really known him since he was 14 years old. There really is still a great relationship. I hadn’t seen him for years… and I don’t know. When you’ve worked with people, with racing drivers, for so long, it’s like the first day, as if the last meeting was yesterday.

“Anyone who thinks that he will give up at 40 and step on the gas less and work less intensively will be wrong. He will give everything [at Ferrari]. I absolutely trust him to deliver the maximum possible performance in the race.

“And if the car is good, why shouldn’t it work out with the eighth title?”

A deflated Hamilton finished the hybrid era with disappointment as Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi race after a tense and exciting season. With Nicholas Latifi crashing at Turn 14, the race was looking to end under the safety car while the Williams was extracted.

The laps wound down and a Mercedes win looked inevitable, but race control allowed only specific cars to un-lap themselves, creating a fiery controversy. The race was restarted with one full lap left with Verstappen immediately behind Hamilton and on much fresher tyres, meaning he swept past him and won the race.

“The last few years [have been difficult] since the title we lost in 2021,” Haug admitted.

“And that really was a stolen title – there’s no other way to put it – due to the wrong safety car decision at the time,  but there was a demolition after that.

“The car and the team that preceded it suffered many setbacks, including last year. The victories that did come were some at low temperatures.”