It is time to catch up with the latest batch of key talking points from another busy day in the world of Formula 1.
Christian Horner has cast a brutal verdict on Mercedes’ role in Lewis Hamilton’s controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi title defeat to Max Verstappen. Hamilton also failed to make the top three driver cut in the mind of the boss of his former team, McLaren.
Tuesday, December 12, marks the two-year anniversary of the 2021 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Hamilton was defeated in his title battle with Verstappen in controversial fashion. When appearing on Sky’s “A League Of Their Own” gameshow, Horner said Mercedes has only themselves to blame for what went down.
“Mercedes f*cked up,” he said. “They left poor Lewis out there on tyres that had done pretty much most of the race, and we’d pitted with Max, so he was on a fresh set of tyres. Max made the move and…”
Hamilton may be a seven-time World Champion, statistically the most successful driver of all time with the most wins, poles, and podiums, but that is not enough to make McLaren principal Andrea Stella’s top three drivers in equal machinery.
“My top three drivers with the same cars would be Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Fernando Alonso,” the McLaren team boss told DAZN.
Speaking exclusively with PlanetF1.com, Max’s father, Jos Verstappen, reflected on that day two years ago when his son became World Champion for the first time. He can understand Mercedes and Hamilton feeling very upset with how that Abu Dhabi title decider went down but says it is something the team and driver must accept.
“I can imagine, for Lewis and Toto, it’s not as nice,” he said. “But that’s how it is, you know, you have to accept it.”
When Verstappen is not on the track in Formula 1 action, he can often be found competing in the virtual racing world. 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve told PlanetF1.com that Verstappen is making the difference for Red Bull. He suggested that if other drivers focused as Max does, they might have a better chance of competing with him.
“If they all focused like Max, then maybe they would be at Max’s level,” he said.
Confusion reigned following the FIA Prize Giving Gala as to where exactly Hamilton’s trophy for finishing P3 in the Drivers’ Championship had ended up. Trill Mag understands from a source close to the situation that the trophy is now back in the care of the FIA and on its way to Hamilton or Mercedes. This comes after a social media user claimed to have been gifted the trophy, which Mercedes swiftly denied.
Alpine’s Changes for the 2024 Season
Otmar Szafnauer, Alan Permane, and Pat Fry all departed Alpine during the F1 2023 campaign, with the team confirming that Davide Brivio will now join them via a mutual parting of ways, effective as of the end of the year. One of the most successful motorcycle team managers of all time, Brivio joined Alpine as racing director in 2021 but had been shuffled to the director of racing expansion projects role by the end of his tenure. The announcement came on the same day that Alpine confirmed to PlanetF1.com that Bruno Famin will remain team principal for F1 2024.
