Steiner on Abu Dhabi 2021 controversy: 'Toto almost had a f***ing heart attack'
The events of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix remain a contentious topic in the F1 paddock 16 months on, with most of the sport’s major players preferring to avoid getting into a debate about the notorious finale.
Lewis Hamilton was on course to win an eighth world title - a triumph that would have seen him surpass Michael Schumacher in the F1 record books - until a late Safety Car turned the race on its head.
F1 race director Michael Masi’s incorrect application of the Safety Car rules directly influenced the outcome of the championship, which switched hands from Hamilton to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in a dramatic final lap shoot-out.
In his new book ‘Driving to Survive’, which will be released later this week, Haas team principal Steiner revealed his stance on one of F1’s most controversial moments.
"If I had a dollar from every person who has asked for my opinion on what happened between Lewis and Max in Abu Dhabi over the past six days, I'd be able to poach Adrian Newey!" Steiner jokes. "Not that I would. He's far too exciting for me.
"What do I think, then? Well, it was certainly very confusing. I remember sitting on the pit wall listening to the orders from the race director and thinking, 'What the hell is happening here?’
"At the time it didn't stack up to me, but at the same time I didn't know all the facts. It was very entertaining, though. Poor Toto [Wolff, Mercedes team principal] almost had a f***ing heart attack!
"Look, at the end of the day, both teams have won a world championship and good for them. Red Bull won the drivers' and Mercedes the constructors'. I'd take either of those. Mercedes didn't protest, so off we go. We move on.”
A petition to hand Hamilton a record eighth F1 title - and see Verstappen lose his maiden drivers’ crown - has gained recent momentum and nearly has 100,000 signatures.
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