Toto Wolff claims Lewis Hamilton lost 2021 championship over 'TARGETED' F1 rule change

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — Photo: © LAT Images

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Wolff claims Hamilton lost 2021 championship over 'TARGETED' F1 rule change

Wolff believes the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was not the only thing that went against Mercedes in 2021

Jay Winter

Wednesday 13 September 2023 19:57

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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has claimed that Lewis Hamilton lost the drivers' championship in the 2021 season due to an F1 regulation change which targeted the Silver Arrows.

After a standout 2020 season where the Silver Arrows dominated the competition, Lewis Hamilton finished 124 points ahead of his team-mate Valtteri Bottas, on 347 points to equal Michael Schumacher's record for the most world championships.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Wolff claimed F1 altered the regulations in order to help their opponents close the gap.

"2020 had been a super dominant year for us," said the Austrian CEO.

"I think it was the best car we ever had. Then, towards the end of the season, they changed the regulations by cutting the floor and that was to stop us."

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Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were enthralled in an intense championship battle right until the final race

While the ever-controversial 2021 finale in Abu Dhabi remains a big reason why Mercedes lost the drivers' championship, Wolff believes broader F1 regulation changes were made in order to stop them.

"We lost the 2021 drivers' championship for many reasons," he said.

"One was the final race. But we also lost it because those regulations were set in place in order to reduce the advantage we had."

Wolff: Mercedes were targeted to reset the pecking order

Mercedes faced fierce competition from Red Bull throughout the 2021 season and Wolff believes that regulatory changes played a crucial role in resetting the competitive landscape.

"We saw the results in 2021; we were not as competitive as Red Bull was," he said.

"But at Silverstone, we unlocked more potential of the car and got ourselves back into the championship.

"These regulations were targeted to reset the pecking order."