Lewis Hamilton Sustained Heavy $4.7 Million Loss Because of Max Verstappen

Lewis Hamilton has been with the Mercedes AMG team since the beginning of the 2013 season. He, along with the German team, has achieved the greatness of which we have hardly seen the likes of. Since joining them, he has won 6 Driver’s Championships and guided the team to 8 constructors’ championships.

He had the chance to win 7 driver’s championships of his career in Abu Dhabi last season. But he missed out on the opportunity in an unimaginable way as his rival, Max Verstappen, overtook him on the last lap.

According to the facts given by The Sun, not only did he miss out on the championship, but he also lost a huge championship-winning bonus. Hamilton would have gotten a bonus of $4.74 million if he had won the championship in Abu Dhabi.

Not only him, but the employees of the German team would also have gotten a bonus of $11,850 each. But maybe it was not meant to be.

READ MORE: Why Do Mercedes Dominate F1?

The British driver was left heartbroken by the manner he lost the championship. He went off his social media handles for almost a month and only made a media comeback when Mercedes unveiled their 2022 car.

Lewis Hamilton comments on the controversial Abu Dhabi season finale

There was a lot of chatter surrounding his future after he lost the title in Abu Dhabi. In light of that, Hamilton addressed his retirement plans while also talking about his future in the sport at the launch of the 2022 cars.

“Of course, I think at the end of a season you think [about the future] and the question is whether you’re willing to commit the time, the effort it takes to be a world champion.”

“Of course, this one was compounded by a significant factor, and I think ultimately a sport I’ve loved my whole life, there was a moment where I obviously lost a little bit of faith within the system,” said Hamilton.

WATCH THE STORY: Lewis Hamilton Plots a Devious Scheme for 2022 F1 Season

The 7-time world champion has continued driving in F1 this season. And in recent races, he has shown why he is one of the best drivers of his era. But it is interesting to know his 2021 title loss affected not only him, in terms of the winning bonus, but also his team.