F1 | Hamilton does not forget last season: "The 2021 World Cup was manipulated"

Lewis Hamilton does not forget the bitter epilogue in last season's title race, where he failed to confirm himself as champion with the world crown going to Max Verstappen. Recalling what happened in Abu Dhabi, the seven-time world champion does not mince words: that championship was manipulated. The Mercedes standard bearer's reference is clear to the decisions, which have caused much discussion in recent months, taken by the race direction then managed by Michael Masi.

Hamilton refuses to compare that episode to what happened in 2008 at Interlagos where, in a finale not suitable for the faint of heart, he managed to overtake Timo Glock's Toyota to become world champion for the first time, thus mocking Felipe Massa. A situation that caused several problems for the former German driver who even received death threats, guilty of having voluntarily let Hamilton's McLaren pass without resisting.

"2008 was not manipulated. He was different – declared Hamilton, interviewed by Timo Glock on Sky Deutschland – The same thing didn't happen in the last race of last season. Someone decided that the result should be what it ended up being".