A World Championship decided on the last lap had never been seen before. Insane 2021 provided that too. And he did so after an exciting series of Grands Prix, seasoned with incidents and endless controversies. All with the decisive role of race director Michael Masi, who, attracting the ire of Mercedes, decided to run a lap and allow Max Verstappen to attack Lewis Hamilton with the advantage of compound and tire wear.
The fight between the Dutchman and the seven-time world champion thrilled all the insiders, who in some cases had to hide their preferences towards one or the other. Damon HillInstead, he never made a secret of supporting Hamilton, provoking the piqued comments of Red Bull team principal Chris Horner in the season finale. The 1996 world champion goes his own way and praised Sir Lewis, according to him a champion even in defeat: “He had one impressive dignity even if he lost the title. I think these behaviors are also a victory“He told the podcast F1 Nation. “Formula 1 is not an exact science, and sometimes it goes against you. Everyone, however, gave their best. Lewis recognized the greatness in Max, and so did Verstappen: they both found their worthy opponent“.
Hill then wished for a quieter 2022, and compared the Hamilton-Verstappen duel to what he experienced with Michael. Schumacher: “It’s great to duel when there is mutual respect. Let’s put 2021 behind us, let’s not let the rivalry escalate. It would be terrible if this duel it was even tougher, and it happened to other riders, just think of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. It risked being the same between me and Schumacher. I thought he didn’t consider me a worthy opponent. Then once I beat him in the wet (probably in Japan in 1994, ed) and I think he was impressed by that. I had the feeling that, at least for that occasion, he thought me worthy, and he came to congratulate him after the race“.
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