Max Verstappen says he no longer watches the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the race that saw him claim his maiden Formula 1 world title in highly controversial circumstances.
His then-title rival, Lewis Hamilton, dominated the race and looked set to take a record-breaking eighth world championship before a late safety car caused by Nicholas Latifi’s crash turned the race on its head.
Verstappen had a free-stop and pitted for fresh soft tyres, whilst Mercedes chose to stay out after predicting that the race would end behind the safety car.
However, race director Michael Masi chose to allow only the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves before failing to allow those same cars another lap to catch-up to the back of the field.
A decision that the FIA called human error, Masi restarted the race with one lap to go and Verstappen used his tyre advantage to overtake Hamilton, before crossing the line to win a chaotic 2021 F1 season.
“No, I don’t look back on that. I know I won. Usually it’s friends who like to see that again” Verstappen said to media.
“I don’t have much use for it now. Maybe later, when I’ve stopped. In the months after that race in Abu Dhabi I looked back a bit, but at some point I only look forward. This season it may all look easy for the viewer, but I’m completely in that focus and I’m just focusing on the next game.
“And outside of Formula 1, sim racing also takes a lot of time. Then I’m back there analysing and finding the right adjustment. I’d much rather do that than look back at my own races or moments.”
Where is the next F1 2023 race?
F1 will return from its summer break with the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix from Zandvoort on August 25-27, where championship leader Max Verstappen will be racing on home soil.
