Lewis Hamilton & Max Verstappen’s Controversial 2021 F1 Finale Receives BAFTA Honor

The world is once again reminded of the infamous 2021 Abu Dhabi GP as the epic showdown battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen won a BAFTA award.

The 2021 season finale has to be one of the most memorable incidents in Formula One history. It was a title-deciding race between Verstappen and Hamilton. The Dutch driver was fighting for his maiden title. Meanwhile, the seven-time world champion was for his record-breaking eighth title.

Hamilton led the 2021 season finale for the most part. But the tables turned after the controversial safety car decision made by former race director Michael Masi that gave Verstappen the advantage. So, the Red Bull driver eventually won the race to lift his first championship title.

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The thrilling race won the sports category for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards against the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the UEFA Euro 2020 semi-final: England v Denmark. So, a few F1 representatives attended the event to receive the award, while others were in the US for the inaugural Miami GP. Further, the F1 representatives dedicated the award to the legendary F1 commentator Murray Walker who passed away in 2021.

Lewis Hamilton claims Mercedes haven’t improved

Hamilton thought to fight for the championship title this season after losing in 2021. But the ongoing season hasn’t been the way Hamilton wanted. He is far from the front line and hasn’t won in the last five races.

The seven-time world champion is fighting this season for the mid-field, where he has never fought in his 16-season-long career. After the Miami race, Hamilton said, “We haven’t improved in these five races, but I am hopeful. We have to keep trying and keep working hard.”

The 2022 Mercedes car doesn’t have the pace as the Ferrari, and Red Bull cars have. So, the Brackley base introduced many significant upgrades for the inaugural Miami GP to reach the front row.

Hamilton and teammate George Russell did have a better pace in the Miami race, but it was not enough to join the battle at the front. Hamilton finished P6 in Miami while his teammate finished at P5 despite starting behind Lewis.

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The next race of the 2022 season is in Spain, where Lewis won last season. Where do you expect Hamilton to finish in the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix?