“A Moment When You Don’t Like the Sport”: F1 Aficionado Toto Wolff Gives Final Verdict on the Abu Dhabi Saga Before Closing an Infamous Chapter

The 2021 title decider was probably one of the lowest moments for Mercedes in F1. Mercedes were distraught as Red Bull basked in the glory of an elusive drivers’ world championship. The two protagonists of the title battle were on different planes altogether. Max Verstappen, who had just clinched his maiden title, was in euphoria. While Lewis Hamilton was just inconsolable. Though everyone had their discussions and criticisms back then, Mercedes avoided divulging much of their thoughts. Yet, recently, Toto Wolff tried to give his final verdict on the entire Abu Dhabi saga.

Toto Wolff told the Times, how he almost fell out of love with F1 after the Abu Dhabi 2021 finale. Toto said, “At the end of the [Abu Dhabi GP] race, an individual made decisions that were not reflected anywhere in the rule book and were so drastic that they made the outcome unbelievable.”

Wolff is a big F1 aficionado. Still, he further explained how this moment made him feel differently about the sport. He added, “That is a moment when you fall out of love with the sport . . . The principle of fairness was breached. The FIA took the guy out of the job because it was a human error. But it’s done and dusted now.”

The Mercedes Boss referred to the former race director Michael Masi did not apply the appropriate safety car procedures in the final stages of the 2021 season finale. It arguably gave an advantage to Red Bull and Max Verstappen, setting up the eventual last-lap showdown.

Eventually, the Austrian feels that everyone should close this infamous chapter now. While no one likes such controversial and questionable moments in the history of F1, the show must go on.

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The saga may keep coming up anytime Mercedes and Red Bull clash. Even when Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have a title battle in the near future. Though, it is an event that cannot be changed now that it is in the past.

Could Abu Dhabi 2021 have been prevented from becoming this Infamous Saga?

There are numerous altercations that could have happened on the night of December 12, 2021, in Abu Dhabi. The way the race panned out, with Max Verstappen trying to catch up with Hamilton comfortably in the race lead, it looked like a done deal.

Lewis was marching towards an 8th-world title. So, the decision of the safety car called in for the final lap showdown was the only thing possible to do in the finale? Before the race, all teams agreed that they won’t be looking to end the race under a safety car.

So, to vindicate this agreement, what were the alternate options besides what happened? A probable and viable option is a Red Flag. It would have been simple enough and fair enough for everyone. There would have been no issues of fairness to one team or another.

Both Hamilton and Verstappen would have got the option to change their tires. Everyone would have been on the same tires and got their final green flag finish.

If it is a street circuit, race control often red flags the race in the event of such a crash. So why not, when the fate of a world championship hangs on a knife edge with 5 laps remaining?

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It may be easier to think about this in hindsight. But, eventually, this created an entire saga that does not seem to end, even more than a year after the events in Yas Marina. What do you think? Could a Red Flag left things better in the Abu Dhabi 2021 conclusion?