Horner claims Mercedes cost Hamilton eighth F1 title
Horner claims Mercedes cost Hamilton eighth F1 title
Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner has suggested that Mercedes' strategy during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021 cost Lewis Hamilton his eighth world title – not the late safety car controversy.
With one lap to go in the race, Hamilton suddenly found Max Verstappen right behind him on fresh tyres as the safety car came into the pits.
The rest is of course history, but many who sided with Hamilton and Mercedes have claimed that the 39-year-old had an eighth world title snatched out of his hands by means beyond his control.
Yet Horner has now shone a light away from the incident, insisting that it was Mercedes' strategy that cost Hamilton a record-breaking number of drivers' championships.
Horner: Mercedes cost Hamilton eighth F1 title
“A lot is made about the final lap, but Mercedes went into that race and they were quicker than us in the grand prix," he told the Secrets of Success podcast.
"Lewis was able to manage the gap to Max pretty comfortably. But then they went very defensive.
“They went very conservative and they they left Lewis out on a set of tyres that were 43 laps old. So he was only ever at a safety car going to be hugely exposed.
"I think in being defensive they exposed themselves to the to the situation that unfolded.
“The way that Lewis handled that disappointment after the race, hats off to him because he would have been even more disappointed, record breaking [eighth] world championship has just disappeared from under his nose, but he handled himself with with dignity and respect.
“I shook his hand in the driver room after the race and he had the good grace to say well done.”
READ MORE FIA president gives damning verdict after F1 Abu Dhabi controversy
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Red Bull is 'burning' after Horner and Marko display
- 9 minutes ago
Red Bull announce strong statement over Newey departure claims
- 1 hour ago
Verstappen 'to meet Mercedes over SHOCK 2025 move as Red Bull exit clause revealed'
- 2 hours ago
F1 champion reveals £100 MILLION contract to keep racing
- 3 hours ago
F1 News Today: Newey 'property hunt' reveals Red Bull exit clues as Hamilton hints at Ferrari swoop
- 3 hours ago
Sky Sports F1 pundit calls for RADICAL change with impressive argument
- Today 16:57
- 1
Related news
Horner admits Red Bull star may NEVER return to team
Suspended Red Bull employee 'grilled' as Horner saga given potential END DATE
Red Bull to lose F1 MVP as true cost of Horner saga hits
F1 pundit reveals the thing about Wolff that ANNOYS Horner
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860