40,000 Lewis Hamilton fans sign petition to overturn controversial F1 2021 season finale result

Lewis Hamilton has chosen to remain silent in the aftermath of a disappointing loss to Max Verstappen at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Briton's fans, however, are making their voices heard on the internet.

A fan of the British driver started a change.org petition to try and overturn the results of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He hopes this will allow Hamilton to clinch a record-breaking eighth drivers' world championship.

The petition started by an individual named Patel Gordon-Bennett has amassed nearly 40,000 signatures at the time of writing this article.

Lewis Hamilton was on course to win the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and seal an unprecedented eighth world title after leading the whole race.

A late crash by Nicholas Latifi, however, forced the Safety Car out to clear the damaged Williams and its debris. While Hamilton was told to stay out and hold onto track position, Max Verstappen pitted to put on fresh soft tires.

FIA Race Director Michael Masi initially decided not to allow lapped cars to pass leader Hamilton and the Safety Car on lap 56. In a dramatic turn of events, however, the Australian changed his mind a lap later, but only for the five cars sandwiched between Hamilton and Max Verstappen. This left the entire Mercedes team as well as their global fanbase seething.

A hapless Hamilton fought with old tires but in vain. In the end, he could only watch Verstappen storm away with what many believed was his title to win.

While the FIA have already confirmed Max Verstappen as the 2021 F1 world champion, Lewis Hamilton's fans still hope to change that through their petition.

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Lewis Hamilton's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix loss left Susie Wolff 'feeling sick'

Lewis Hamilton was gracious in the face of defeat against Max Verstappen at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The climax to the race, however, which saw the title slip from Hamilton's hands and fall into Max Verstappen's, left Susie Wolff 'feeling sick'.

Wolff is the CEO of Venturi Racing in Formula E and the wife of Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. A former racecar driver in her own right, Wolff wrote a lengthy post on social media in the aftermath of the race that decided the title in 2021. She slammed the decisions taken in the final moments by Race Director Michael Masi and other stewards while maintaining that Hamilton was 'robbed'.

Many believe that Lewis Hamilton is taking a hiatus from social media in light of recent events. Mercedes expect the Briton to return to action for the 2022 season. Hamilton's current contract runs through until the end of 2023.