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Ammon News - SULKING Sir Lewis Hamilton is suffering from a bit of 'self pity' but will come back stronger, Abu Dhabi race steward Derek Warwick insists.

Warwick dismissed rumours the Mercedes ace was about to retire from motor racing after having his eighth world title snatched away from him on the final lap by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

A 'disillusioned”'Hamilton is believed to be 'losing faith' in Formula One and last week broke protocol by boycotting the prestigious FAI awards ceremony.

Warwick was the driver race steward at Abu Dhabi and it was his decision to allow Hamilton to continue in the lead after he was forced off the track at the first corner by Verstappen.

But the former Grand Prix driver and 1992 24-hour Le Mans and World Sports Car champion was not involved in the contentious safety car incident that indirectly decided the 2021 championship.

Race director Michael Masi has taken the brunt of the blame for the controversial result. He allowed a last-lap shoot-out after the safety car was called in which saw Verstappen blast pass Hamilton on turn five and claim his maiden title.


Warwick feels for his fellow Brit and said: “Of course I have sympathy for Lewis because he dominated the race and lost it on the final lap.

“He has done nothing wrong all year and in some ways they both deserve to be world champion but as we know only one can win it.

“I am sure he’s very hurt and will take a while to get over it and maybe this talk about retirement is a bit of self pity.

“I hope not but I think he will lose a little bit of momentum because he has put so much into this year and second is a loss for him.

“But he has such strength that he will come back stronger.”

Warwick also applauded Verstappen saying: “He’s been amazing nearly all year and he’s super fast and aggressive - maybe too aggressive sometimes.

“He’s got his way of going motor racing which is maybe different from Lewis’s but at the end of the day that’s the way he’s been brought up and that’s the way he races.”

Warwick was shut away with three other stewards and an engineer at Abu Dhabi with race director Masi in another race control room with 20 to 25 back-up staff.

It was there last weekend that he alone decided to allow a certain number of lapped cars to unlap themselves leaving Dutchman Verstappen right up the tail of Hamilton’s Mercedes.

Warwick confessed: “Nobody is allowed into our room at the start of the race to the end and it was massively intense in there.

“As soon as the safety car pulled in I kind of knew in my heart that Max would win the race because he was on the softer tyres and it was bitter-sweet really.

“On the one side Lewis was dominating the race and on the other Red Bull and Max took every opportunity to be in the right position should a situation arise, and it did arise.

“But what we’ve witnessed this year are two of, arguably, the greatest drivers of all time who will go on to win many more races and titles.”

As for Massi, who is under investigation, Warwick added: “I know Michael very well and he is a really top guy who was under a lot of pressure.

“He had big boots to fill replacing Charlie Whiting and he’s done an amazing job. A lot of people are criticising him but I’m definitely not one of them.

“The teams and drivers have said we do not want to finish under a safety car and I personally feel he has done nothing wrong.

“Would I want that job? No. A very simple no. Not only would I not like that job I wouldn't do that job.”

*thesun