Hamilton still not putting 2021 to rest and calls it rigged again
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Lewis Hamilton has once again reiterated that he thinks the outcome of the 2021 season finale was "manipulated", reports the Sky Sports. Speaking to former driver Timo Glock, Hamilton reiterated his now familiar claim.
On the weekend that Formula 1 returns to the circuit where last year's title battle was settled, there is of course a lot about the much-discussed finale of the season. Although Max Verstappen has now even secured his second world title there are still those who question the legitimacy of his first victory. Mercedes and Hamilton provided a breeding ground for such thoughts with their post-title reactions, and so Hamilton has now hinted once again that he has still not fully accepted the result.
Comparison with 2008 doesn't hold up according to Hamilton
Hamilton was asked by Glock to compare the 2021 slot with the 2008 championship. That year, Hamilton won his first title by just managing to gain a place in the final stages of the last race, passing Felipe Massa in the title race. Hamilton was clear about the difference: "No, it was different, it was different because this one wasn't manipulated by anybody. Someone made a decision for that result to be the way it was basically."
Hamilton's claim that the result was manipulated is not new. Indeed, it was the first thing he said when Verstappen crossed the finish line last year in Abu Dhabi. This weekend in the press conference, Hamilton refused to answer further questions about that race. Helmut Marko also reacted surprised that this is yet another topic and suggested that it is time to put that race in the past to rest.