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Max Verstappen was 'a worthy champion' despite Lewis Hamilton's heroics in 2021, according to Toto Wolff. The Mercedes team principal claimed so when discussing the controversial end to the 2021 season in an interview with RN365.
When asked if he and Hamilton have been able to put the ensuing drama behind them, Wolff said:
“We will never forget that. What happened to (Lewis) Hamilton there is just wrong. Hamilton was unbeatable that day, until the race committee lit the fuse by disregarding the regulations up to three times.”
Wolff, however, was willing to acknowledge that Verstappen deserved the 2021 title. He said:
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“What happened will always be difficult to understand, it will always haunt us. But looking at the whole season, Max Verstappen is a worthy Formula 1 world champion. However, on that one day, one driver was better than the other, but the better driver did not win that day.”
The 37-year-old Briton was on the verge of clinching an eighth world championship in Abu Dhabi before a dramatic turn of events saw the Dutchman come out on top.
Hamilton's return to F1 in 2022 is still up in the air. Reports claim it hinges on the results of the FIA's ongoing internal investigation into the final laps of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Wolff has also said that should Hamilton retire from F1 as a result of this controversy, it would be an indictment of the sport.
"Who knows?" - Jacques Villeneuve on if Lewis Hamilton will return to F1
Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve is uncertain if Lewis Hamilton will return to the F1 grid in 2022.
The 1997 F1 world champion was asked about the British driver's future in the sport during a NASCAR press event at Daytona International Speedway. He said:
“Who knows? Nobody expected (Nico) Rosberg to not come back and suddenly he just woke up one morning and told everyone he wasn’t actually passionate about racing in a way. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Lewis (Hamilton). But who knows?”
Villeneuve also went on to say Verstappen deserved the 2021 championship on the whole.
