Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has criticised Red Bull’s “entitlement” amid the dramatic conclusion to the 2021 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship.
In one of the most-documented title fights in F1 history, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen went into a winner-takes-all title grudge match in the 2021 season-finale at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.
A controversial Safety Car restart in the dying embers of the race and a late pit-stop call by Red Bull granted Verstappen a tyre advantage and track position right on Hamilton’s tail for the final lap and the Dutchman converted that opportunity to take his first title.
It was an agonising defeat for Mercedes and Hamilton, but Wolff is still bitter about Red Bull’s failure to acknowledge the anguish inflicted upon its rivals.
“I felt that the other side [Red Bull], and that’s not Max, but there was not a one sentence saying: ‘that was a difficult day for Mercedes’,” Wolff said on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast.
“‘They are both deserving champions, today it went against Mercedes. It went against us before’,” Wolff added.
“There was not one word from [Red Bull Team Principal] Christian Horner or the other team in acknowledging that, it was like entitlement.”
Wolff added had the shoe been on the other foot: ”We would have said it.”
The 2021 season was contentious at the best of times, with Wolff and Horner constantly throwing barbs at one another as Verstappen and Hamilton went toe-to-toe on track.
Perhaps then it is no surprise a word from Red Bull towards Mercedes was not forthcoming.
Verstappen and Hamilton ‘deserving’ 2021 champions – Wolff
Aside from the chaos, 2021 saw two of F1’s greatest going at it hammer and tongs.
The rivalry between F1’s joint-record title-winner and the ascending Verstappen saw both enter the final round on equal points and each driver would have been a worthy champion.
That is certainly the view held by Wolff, who said: “Both drivers were deserving champions, because of the ups and downs during the season. And probably both of them should have been world champions.”
Probed on whether Hamilton had the strongest car in 2021, Wolff argued the balance of performance tipped throughout the season.
“At the end [we had the faster car], not the first half of the year,” he replied.
“I think Lewis was the stronger driver in the second half, Max was in the first half – and the same with the cars.
“They should have both had the trophy, but on that day, in that race, the race was decided, and it fell the other way.”
Verstappen has gone on to clinch three further Drivers’ Championships and joins Hamilton in the exclusive club of drivers with at least four titles.
Since their heated 2021 exchanges, the two drivers have moved on and hold a mutual respect for one another.
Will the two enter a title fight once again upon Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari?
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