Guenther Steiner: Lewis Hamilton would have eight titles without FIA 's*** show'

Former Haas boss Guenther Steiner believes Lewis Hamilton would be an eight-time F1 world champion had the late Charlie Whiting still been the FIA’s race director.

Hamilton had been leading the season-ending and title-deciding 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and was on course to claim a record eighth world championship before then FIA race director Michael Masi incorrectly handled a Safety Car restart to force a final lap shootout.

That opened the door for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who had pitted for fresh soft tyres, to dramatically overtake Hamilton, on aged hards, on the last lap to snatch both the race victory and his maiden drivers’ crown.

In his second book ‘Unfiltered’, which will be released later this month, Steiner described the Abu Dhabi finale as a “s*** show of biblical proportions”, adding F1 would have avoided controversy had Whiting, who died in 2019, still been alive. 

“Wherever your loyalties lie with that one (and yes, I agree, it was amazing entertainment), from a regulations point of view it was a shit show of biblical proportions,” he wrote.

“Regardless of what decision Charlie Whiting might have made in Michael Masi’s position, there would have been far less controversy and embarrassment.

“Oh, fok it. We all know what Charlie would have done. Had he been at the helm Lewis would now be an eight-time world champion.”

Masi was removed as F1’s race director after an inquiry by the FIA found “human error” to be responsible for the failure to apply the correct rules in the 2021 title decider.

Earlier this year, Hamilton opened up about the controversy in an interview with GQ Magazine, insisting he is now “at peace” with the outcome.

“Was I robbed? Obviously," Hamilton said. "I mean, you know the story.”

Asked if he still thinks about the race, the 39-year-old Briton said: "If I see a clip of it, I still feel it, but I'm at peace with it."