"Lewis Hamilton walked away from Abu Dhabi 2021 scandal with more fans than if he had won an 8th title": F1 pundit on the 7x champion

F1 pundit Natalie Pinkham showered praise on Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton for his mature handling of the controversial ending of the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi. The culmination of the 2021 season will go down as one of the most iconic and debated moments in F1 history.

After leading the race from Lap 1 against his title rival and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, the former Mercedes driver was dealt the wrong hand by the FIA. The Dutchman passed him on the final lap as he was on fresher tires to take his first title and deny Hamilton his record-breaking eighth world championship.

While appearing on the Red Flags Podcast, Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham spoke about the complex and controversial nature of the decision. But she was appreciative of Lewis Hamilton for his gracious reaction in a difficult moment, saying (8:30):

"The most enduring memory of that day was seeing Anthony Hamilton go up and whisper in his son's ear and to this day I've never asked him what he said to his son. But whatever it was, it was enough for Lewis to walk up to Max and shake him by the hand [and] look him in the eye."

"I thought, if anything we can take out of this is, this incredible moment for children everywhere to see how to deal with adversity and defeat graciously and I still contend to this day that Lewis walked away from that moment with more fans globally than he had won an eighth title," she added.

After 2021 Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton couldn't rediscover his dominance, winning only two races in the next three years. In 2025, he left Mercedes to complete a dream move to Ferrari.

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Lewis Hamilton chimes on the challenges ahead of his first year with Ferrari

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton claimed that the biggest challenge in his first month with the Italian team was to be "ready" quickly for the 2025 season.

In an interview with ESPN, the seven-time F1 world champion reflected on the upcoming season and said:

"The biggest challenge is getting ready. I remember in my previous team when I joined, it wasn't until six months [later] I won my first race. It takes time to build relationships, to build trust with everybody, to understand how an organization works, how people are tuned to work, how you can show up for people and get the best out of them, and vice versa."

Lewis Hamilton signed a multi-year deal with the Prancing Horses that would see him race for them until the end of the 2026 season. The British driver will aim to bring success to the Italian team in the constructors' championship and take him to an elusive eighth world title.