Christian Horner Accuses Mercedes of ‘F[word] Up’ with ‘Poor Lewis Hamilton’ During Max Verstappen’s F1 World Title Victory

Red Bull Team Boss Christian Horner Accuses Mercedes of Strategic Error in 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix cost Hamilton’s the 8th Title chance

Christian Horner, the team boss of Red Bull Racing, has accused Mercedes of “f[word] ing up” on the day Lewis Hamilton missed out on the 2021 World Championship in a controversial manner during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The race, which took place on December 12, 2021, marked the second anniversary of the season finale that saw Max Verstappen win the title in a dramatic one-lap shootout.

In the controversial finale, FIA race director Michael Masi’s incorrect enforcement of the Safety Car rules led to a one-lap shootout for the championship. Hamilton, who had been leading the race, was set to secure his eighth world championship, but Verstappen overtook him in the dying seconds with fresher tires, ultimately winning the race and the championship.

Christian Horner accused Mercedes of making a strategic error with their driver, Lewis Hamilton, in the critical moments of the race. The controversy surrounding the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has continued to be a topic of discussion and debate within the Formula 1 community, with differing opinions on the decisions made during the race.

As the anniversary of the race passes, the contentious circumstances of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix remain a memorable and debated moment in Formula 1 history.

Horner continued: “Mercedes f***ed up. They left poor Lewis out there on tyres that had done pretty much most of the race and we’d pitted with Max, so he was on a fresh set of tyres.

“Max made the move.”

Christian Horner, the team boss of Red Bull Racing, has revealed that Max Verstappen did not plan to complete the decisive pass at the hairpin during the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Instead, Verstappen aimed to launch a move up the inside as he struggled with a cramp in his left leg.

He said: “The interesting thing is where Max passed him – it caught Lewis completely by surprise.

“After the race, Max told us he didn’t intend to overtake him there but he got cramp behind the Safety Car and he couldn’t feel his left foot properly, so he thought: ‘Oh, f*** it, I’m going for it anyway.

“And then, when they were going down the straight, he was trying to wake his left foot up to hit the brakes for the next chicane.”