Lewis Hamilton was ‘really struggling’ to deal with F1 title climax, Carlos Sainz reveals
Sainz finished third in Abu Dhabi and says he ‘felt bad’ for Hamilton
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Lewis Hamilton was "really struggling" on the podium at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after the controversial final lap which saw Max Verstappen snatch the world title away, Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has revealed.
Hamilton was on course for a record eighth F1 championship before a safety car deployment saw his huge race lead cut. FIA race director Michael Masi then applied a controversial interpretation of the rules to create a final-lap showdown, which Verstappen won on fresher tyres.
"Losing the title on the last lap like that, it's just hard to accept," Sainz, who finished third, told Corriere Della Sera. "I respect [Hamilton] more than before for the way he managed to do it. We had a few words on the podium, he was really struggling."
Sainz said he "felt bad" for Hamilton and called on the sport's authorities to do more to ensure such contentious situations didn't cloud results in the future.
"We must not repeat the same mistake," Sainz added. “Every football match generates controversy. We need to prevent F1 from approaching that kind of tension. But I don't think the situation is disastrous, I'm convinced that it is improving.”
The way the race unfolded in currently being investigated by F1’s authorities in a bid to learn lessons for the future.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments