P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen became world champion for the first time in 2021 after a crazy ending. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner still has great respect for the reaction of Lewis Hamilton, who controversially saw an eighth title slip from his hands.
According to Christian Horner, the battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in 2021 was fiercely contested, with Mercedes and Red Bull giving each other no quarter both on and off the track. Prior to the final race in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen and Hamilton were tied in points. However, a crash by Nicholas Latifi prompted a Safety Car and a controversial decision by race director Michael Masi to create a one-lap shoot-out with a lap gap between Hamilton and Verstappen. Verstappen, who had softer tires, overtook Hamilton and held on to the lead to win his first F1 title. Horner praised both drivers and teams for raising themselves to new levels throughout the season, and acknowledged that things could have turned out differently. He also respected Hamilton’s reaction after the race and believed that Mercedes should have been more considerate to Hamilton during the Safety Car period.
