Hamilton: Abu Dhabi trauma will always be with me

Could Sainz battle into the championship fight?

Silverstone best example yet of 2022 regs taking effect

All hail the Halo after Zhou crash

Where does Leclerc go from here?

Torquing Point: Driver market will be active

Mick Schumacher given 9.5/10 for first F1 points

Torquing Point: Reviewing a classic British GP

Mercedes’ season starts now

Denied a record-breaking eighth World title in controversial circumstances, Lewis Hamilton says the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a “trauma” that will linger forever.

Hamilton and his title rival Max Verstappen arrived in Abu Dhabi, the final race of the 2021 championship, tied on points in a winner-takes-all situation.

Hamilton was going to be that winner, comfortably ahead of the Red Bull until FIA race director Michael Masi made a controversial call under a late Safety Car to allow only the lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves.

On much fresher tyres, Verstappen made a last-lap-of-the-season pass on Hamilton to take the win and the World title.

Such was the fall-out that for weeks Formula 1 didn’t know if Hamilton would be back on the grid for the start of this year’s championship.

He ultimately decided to continue, the Briton saying while Abu Dhabi will always be a traumatic event in his life, he still loves Formula 1.

“That will always be with me,” he admitted to Channel 4. “I think that’s when anyone experiences this trauma because it can be a traumatic experience when you lose something that you’ve worked hard for, whatever it may be.

“So I think that will always be a part of me, but I would like to think that I’ve gained strength from it, I would say.

“It’s not something I’m looking back on and thinking about ever to be honest. I’m just looking forward.