Wolff says he thinks 'every week' about Abu Dhabi 2021: 'Hamilton deserved to be the greatest of all time'

Three years later, the pain has not gone away. Toto wolff recognizes: the wound of the incredible outcome of the 2021 season, in Abu Dhabi, is still raw, and the defeat of Lewis Hamilton face Max Verstappen at the end of a controversial Grand Prix still does not go down well with the Austrian. A trauma for the Team Principal of the stable Mercedes, who confides that this painful memory regularly comes back to him. In the podcast High Performance, the leader admitted that he still thinks "every week" about the circumstances of Lewis Hamilton's failure in 2021.

"I think about it mainly because I think Lewis would have deserved to be the greatest of all time with eight world championship titles, Toto Wolff emphasizes. You can always argue about that year, but I think Max and Lewis deserved to be champions. There were times during the year when Max lost points that he shouldn't have lost. At Silverstone, at Monza where both of them had [their crashes]. So both of them deserve to be champions. But that afternoon in Abu Dhabi, it was unfair."

An event so significant that it is an integral part of the history of Toto Wolff, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes in Formula 1. Moreover, the failure of the 2021 season also serves as a symbol and mantra for the German team: now, the Mercedes W12 from that year is on display in the hall of the Brackley factory in the United Kingdom. A way of “remembering the ups and downs of that season” and to motivate the troops, according to the Austrian leader. “This car is a stark reminder of all the joys and sorrows a situation can bring.”, says Toto Wolff.

Wolff doesn't really sympathize with Masi...

The Mercedes Team Principal also spoke about the Michael Masi case during this intense 2021 season. Although the Austrian did not want to dwell on the subject three years after the events, he assures that he tried to help the former race director throughout the 2021 championship, until the tragic moment in Abu Dhabi. “I really tried to talk to Michael and guide him throughout the year, to say, ‘Listen, I’ve been in this sport a long time, listen to the drivers, don’t always be stubborn in your decision-making, don’t be arrogant,’ confides the Austrian. I tried this for the good of the sport and obviously also for us as a team, to not be vulnerable to situations that could be totally detrimental. In that sense, what happened is inexcusable."

"Now you might say I should be empathetic to understand how he feels., he adds. I know how he feels and I know it's not right. But he could have thought about it throughout the year [2021], when people, not just me, were trying to support him in the right way. Sometimes you have to realize when someone is doing what they want or making their own decisions. As far as I'm concerned, I don't worry about it anymore." If there was still any doubt, the two will not spend their holidays together...

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