P1racenews AI automatic summary:
F1 News Today: Horner blames Mercedes for Hamilton 2021 title loss as Verstappen explains rivals failure
According to Christian Horner, the principal of the Red Bull F1 team, Lewis Hamilton lost his chance at winning his eighth world title in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix due to Mercedes’ strategy, rather than the controversial late safety car incident. Horner believes that the decision to pit Hamilton for fresh tires, which ultimately allowed Max Verstappen to take the lead, was the main factor in the outcome of the race. This strategic move by Mercedes put Hamilton at a disadvantage and favored Verstappen’s chances of winning. Horner’s statement implies that the late safety car controversy, which involved the deployment of a safety car near the end of the race, was not the decisive factor in the title battle. Instead, it was the strategic choices made by Mercedes that may have cost Hamilton the championship.
