It’s known as the ‘Miracle of Yas Marina’ for a reason.
Current F1 world champion Max Verstappen has no enthusiasm for dwelling on the day that clinched him his first driversā title. Despite fierce competition with the likes of Mercedesā Lewis Hamilton, who engaged in one of the greatest title fights of Formula Oneās modern generation, the Dutchman won the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
The young Dutchman entered the Yas Marina just one point ahead of the Mercedes man after the season that the rivalry between the two hit the boiling point several times after the incidents on the track.
Just beginning the race from first position, the 27-year-old conceded the lead to Hamilton who seemed to be leading to a record eight world title before the final stages of the race.
And then in a notorious finish that still divides the sport, a crash from Williams driver Nicholas Latifi sparked a chaotic series of events. It culminated in race director Michael Masi controversially changing his initial safety car instructions to ensure one final lap of racing.
It presented Verstappen with the chance to overtake his rival, and he duly did so before taking the chequered flag and sparking huge Red Bull celebrations. Even then, the win was only later confirmed after Mercedes failed with a protest to FIA stewards.
Verstappen hasnāt needed to go to the final day for any of his three subsequent crowns. But speaking on the latest Talking Bull podcast, he said he had no interest in reliving the occasion that has gone down in F1 folklore.
For me, reliving my first title, like that day, I think I would die of a heart attack,ā he told host Nicola Hume. āBecause I remember people that saw me that day, especially my girlfriend Kelly, she came into my room before the race – and normally before a race Iām not that nervous.
And then in a notorious finish that still divides the sport, a crash from Williams driver Nicholas Latifi sparked a chaotic series of events. It culminated in race director Michael Masi controversially changing his initial safety car instructions to ensure one final lap of racing.
It presented Verstappen with the chance to overtake his rival, and he duly did so before taking the chequered flag and sparking huge Red Bull celebrations. Even then, the win was only later confirmed after Mercedes failed with a protest to FIA stewards.
Since inheriting his three successive titles, Verstappen has never reached the final day of the test. However, talking in the latest Talking Bull podcast, he said he did not care to remember a race that has become history in the Formula One.
At the same time, it was always important for me to regain my first title, as for this day, I believe that I would have a heart attack, the tennis player said to the host Nicola Hume. āBecause some people were watching me that day, especially my girlfriend Kelly, she came into my room before the race ā and usually before the race I am not very nervous.ā
āI suppose,ā I mean youāre well prepared and there might be some nerves about wanting to do wellā but she said that my hands were ice cold. Well once more, you certainly dos not want to repeat these kind of moments. I mean they are pretty to look at, but not to have a replay of.ā
The result had staggering implications for this sport. Masi was eventually dismissed Masi fell out of a job, and with the new FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem overseeing a plethora of other changes with two race directors have been employed to share their duties during the Grand Prix races.
For the same reasons, Hamilton also took quite the vow of not talking in public till February of the next year. This raised suggestions that he might even quit the sport prematurely, following comment that the outcome of the race in Abu Dhabi was fixed.
It is much harder in 2025 to secure the position of the driversā standings for Verstappen to struggle through the campaign just as he did in 2021. His success this time around was achieved with constructorsā winners McLaren and Ferrari looking to have had the pace advantage in the second half of the year.