'Scandal' - The overlooked Abu Dhabi 2021 incident that would have flipped race on its head

Abu Dhabi 2021

'Scandal' - The overlooked Abu Dhabi 2021 incident that would have flipped race on its head

Max Vestappen won the 2021 title

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 20 May 2026 09:57

An F1 insider has labelled the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix a 'scandal', casting a light on key incident beyond the infamous safety car debacle that saw Max Verstappen overtake Lewis Hamilton on the last lap.

Still regarded as one of the most controversial incidents in F1 history, Verstappen won his first world championship title at the Yas Marina Circuit back in 2021 with a late overtake on seven-time world champion Hamilton.

But the moment was clouded in controversy. For much of the 58-lap race, it was looking like Hamilton would canter to a record-breaking eighth world title.

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But, Nicholas Latifi's late crash saw a safety car be deployed, and Verstappen dived into the pits with nothing to lose to make sure he was on fresh tyres in case there was an opportunity to attack Hamilton.

There were several lapped cars between the leaders, which prevented Verstappen from being right on Hamilton's tail but, towards the end of the safety car period, race director Michael Masi decided to let those cars through to unlap themselves, but not the rest of the lapped cars further down the field.

It was seen by many to be a huge injustice, and one that led to the sacking of Masi from his position, but nonetheless Verstappen still had to get past Hamilton.

And on the last lap of the last race of the season, he did just that, passing the Brit and racing away with the championship.

But F1 insider Will Buxton has implored fans to go a little further back in the race to explore a 'scandal' which he believed changed the race.

Hamilton had got ahead of the pole sitter from the start but as Verstappen tried to get back ahead at turn nine, Hamilton skipped the chicane, and stayed ahead of the Dutchman.

The Brit was not ordered to give the position back, and went on to dominate much of the race, before the last lap shenanigans.

Buxton told the Up to Speed podcast: “Should Lewis even have been leading given that on the opening lap he cut the chicane and never gave back the advantage?

“He gave up a couple of seconds. But if the stewards and if race control had stuck to the precedent of previous decisions, then Lewis should have actually given up the lead and given it back to Max at that point. And then I think we've got a very different race.

“So people seem to forget it wasn't just one occasion in that race where things were done not to the book from lap one things weren't done to the book. So the entire race is a scandal.”

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Hamilton left behind

Pretty much ever since Hamilton got overtaken by Verstappen in that race, he has been left trailing in the Dutchman's dirty air.

Verstappen has finished ahead of Hamilton in the drivers' championship in each of the last five seasons, claiming championship victories in four of those years.

Verstappen has claimed 51 grand prix wins since Abu Dhabi 2021, while Hamilton has just the two since then.

This season, however, Hamilton sits above Verstappen in the early drivers' championship, with Ferrari looking much improved compared to 2025 and Red Bull struggling.

Verstappen has a best grand prix finish so far in 2026 of just fifth, while Hamilton has claimed a grand prix podium already, and sits 25 points above the four-time champion in the standings.

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F1 Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Abu Dhabi 2021