“2021 Is Not Out of His Mind”: Max Verstappen Warned of Pained Lewis Hamilton As Rivals Return to the Scene of The Crime

Formula 1 is in the United Arab Emirates for the ultimate race of the season. The pinnacle of motorsport is here for the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend. As the Yas Marina Circuit race inches closer, Lewis Hamilton returns to the track the first time since his tragic 2021 championship loss as he warns his championship rival.

As Hamilton comes back to Abu Dhabi, F1 analyst Jolyon Palmer thinks last year’s battle is still fresh in his mind as it’s hard for anyone to forget what happened the past year. Talking about this, Palmer stated, “The evidence of Brazil last weekend and the crash he had with Verstappen to me that looks like 2021 is not out of his mind, I should say.”

Moreover, Jack Aitken, another British motorsport driver, believes Hamilton vs Verstappen is always a warning for a great battle. As the Mercedes man might be up for the Abu Dhabi vengeance, Aitken talked about this in BBC’s Formula 1 Chequered Flag.

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He stated, “The way he [Lewis Hamilton] looks at his rivalry with Max [Verstappen] because at the end of the day it all adding up to a part of their story. So it’s quite painful for him.”

Even though it’s affirmative that Hamilton isn’t looking for revenge, it can’t be ruled as he would want a win in Abu Dhabi.

Tough times for Lewis Hamilton after the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP

By now, everyone must be aware of what happened in the very last lap of the very last race last year. The controversial race that saw Hamilton lose out on his eighth world championship has given him hard times even after months.

The Mercedes star went months without making any public appearances. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Hamilton said, “I, for sure, considered whether I wanted to continue.”

As shared by Briton himself, he once lost faith in the sport as well. As per Sky Sports, he once stated, “I think ultimately a sport that I’ve loved my whole life, there was a moment where I lost a little bit of faith within the system.”

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However, the Briton stayed in the sport and pledged to come back stronger. And he came back in 2022 to fight for his eighth world championship. However, it was a hard task for him as he and his Mercedes weren’t competitive to fight Max Verstappen and his mighty Red Bull.