Lewis Hamilton has acknowledged that he pondered quitting immediately following the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix drama.
Hamilton claimed at the time that the race outcome was “manipulated” in favor of Max Verstappen, who passed him on the final lap to win the World Championship in highly contentious circumstances.
In the aftermath of the race’s fallout, then-race director Michael Masi resigned, leaving Hamilton distraught as he crossed the finish line, since the FIA’s long-standing restart procedures following Safety Cars were apparently not followed at the time.
Lewis Hamilton ‘definitely’ pondered quitting following the repercussions from Abu Dhabi.
Hamilton was comfortably leading that night at Yas Marina when a late Safety Car was called for the wrecked Nicholas Latifi, and only the lapped cars between him and Verstappen were allowed to past the Safety Car.
Rather of the one further lap required by FIA protocol, which would have seen the cars cross the finish line in order, the race resumed.
Verstappen overcame Hamilton on the final lap on fresh tyres, making the Red Bull driver World Champion for the first time in one of the greatest title wars in living memory.
That race remains a highly contentious issue among sections of Formula 1 fans to this day, and a regular topic of conversation on social media, and the Mercedes driver admitted he considered calling time on his illustrious career in the days after the race.
He decided against it however, believing it unwise to make rash decisions “in the heat of that moment”.
“For sure, yeah,” Hamilton said to reporters in Abu Dhabi when asked if he considered retiring on the spot after the drama of the title battle two years ago, according to Autosport.
“There was so much going through my mind at that time.”
“But I think one of the worst things you can do is make decisions based on emotions, because when you are emotional and in the heat of that moment, more often than not, you’re not going to make the best decisions.”Emotions were high, and it was a really, really difficult time, so I simply had to wait till things cooled down and I was clear in my mind, so that I could then make the proper decision.
But after spending time with his family during the off-season, he realized he wanted to stay in the sport.
“I was around my niece and nephew and was in a beautiful place, in Hawaii, with my family, and at a point where I felt really content and felt I just wanted to get up again and keep going,” she said.
Hamilton currently has a new deal with Mercedes that runs until the end of 2025, which he signed earlier this year, and will extend his stay in the sport beyond his 40th birthday.