Two years later, Lewis Hamilton revealed that he had considered the possibility of retiring after his controversial runner-up in Formula 1 in 2021, losing to Max Verstappen. At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, both drivers arrived at Yas Marina tied on points. Lewis, from Mercedes, was leading the race comfortably until the accident of Nicholas Latifi, from Williams, which resulted in the safety car being brought in. For the restart, the FIA determined that only the latecomers between Hamilton and Verstappen could discount their laps, creating an exciting duel between the two title contenders on the last lap. Max, equipped with new tires, overtook Lewis for Red Bull and won the world title.
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“Absolutely,” said Hamilton in an interview with several journalists. “A lot of things went through my mind at that time, but I believe that one of the worst things we can do is make decisions based on emotions, because often, in the heat of the moment, we don’t make the best decisions,” he added.
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Following the controversial defeat, Hamilton withdrew from public life, avoiding interviews and social media posts, which raised doubts about his participation in the 2022 Formula 1 season. However, the driver eventually resurfaced and confirmed his desire to continue competing. He shared his experiences during this period.
“Emotions were running high; it was a very difficult period. So, I needed to wait for things to calm down, have a clear mind, and only then could I make the right decisions. I was with my nephews in a wonderful place, in Hawaii, together with my family, at a time when I felt happy and realized that I wanted to get up and move forward”, concluded Hamilton.