"Fair or unfair, Masi or no Masi" - Lewis Hamilton was 'not robbed' according to Russian commentator

Russian commentator Alexey Popov claims Lewis Hamilton was "not robbed" at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion suffered a final-lap loss to Max Verstappen after a botched safety car restart by the FIA. The Russian believes the dramatic conclusion to the season was a racing incident.

Lewis Hamilton led by nearly 12 seconds over championship rival Max Verstappen heading into the final five laps and was en route to winning the event comfortably. A late crash by Nicholas Latifi, however, brought out the safety car which turned Hamilton's odds upside down. The Dutchman was suddenly on the back of the Briton's Mercedes with his fresher soft compound tires. The 24-year-old overtook Hamilton at Turn 5 and won his maiden title in the sport.

Popov was speaking in an interview with Championat, a Russian digital sports publication. He felt that while the events of the championship finale were extreme, they were just a part of racing and that Hamilton was not robbed of his eighth title win. Popov defended his statements, saying:

“Leclerc was in the lead at Silverstone – Lewis Hamilton passes him at the end. Norris at Sochi, pop, and Lewis passes him. That is, such situations happen without any breakdowns: tactics, tires, some rain. Yes, it was an extreme case, but you can’t say: he had a 12-second lead, but the pace car took it all away. That’s part of racing. Fair or unfair, Masi or no Masi, it’s all part of the race. The odds can stay or they can be nullified.”

Popov proceeded to shut down any fan-made comparisons to other sports by saying:

“I think everything is fair in this season. Specifically in this race. Yes, Lewis was stronger, but that’s sport. I’ve seen a lot of fans upset that it wasn’t their favorite who won. They tie in analogies from other sports: ‘But imagine if a team leads 10-0 in football and then they give one penalty that costs like 11 goals.’ No, guys. That’s not how it works in motor racing. There’s a checkered flag in motor racing.”

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Lewis Hamilton still head to head with Michael Schumacher

Lewis Hamilton led the race in Abu Dhabi until the very end when Max Verstappen overtook the Briton with the controversial safety car restart. Consequently, Hamilton is still tied with Michael Schumacher for the highest number of title wins in the sport — seven each.

Furthermore, Lewis Hamilton is yet to break Schumacher's record for the highest number of podium appearances in a season — both are tied at 17. Verstappen's final lap win against the Briton, however, means the Dutchman now holds the record with 18 podiums achieved in 22 races.

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