Toto Wolff reopens old wound with Christian Horner “entitlement” dig

Toto Wolff has reopened the debate about the contentious 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton lost out on what would have been an all-time record eighth F1 title in the final moments of the last race of the season.

Race director Michael Masi’s controversial application of the Safety Car rule enabled Max Verstappen to win his first title, ushering in Red Bull’s era of glory.

Mercedes boss Wolff hit out at Christian Horner’s Red Bull on the Armchair Expert podcast: “The other side - not Max - there was not one sentence to say ‘it was a difficult day for Mercedes, we acknowledge it, they are both deserving champions and today it went against Mercedes’.

“There was not one word from Christian or the team to acknowledge that. It was entitlement.”

Wolff claims that Mercedes would have dealt with the issue differently.

“We would have said it,” he insisted.

Lewis Hamilton denied record F1 title

Wolff insists that the events of the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP remain among the most controversial across any sport.

“Probably in most sports because it was so clear that the referee decided to do something which was not in the rulebook,” he said.

“It was not even a judgement call, it was not in the rulebook.”

Wolff added: “The strict interpretation of the rule is that you need to unlap the cars and make them join at the back.

“[Then] we win the championship. It is clear. There are not enough laps left. The race finishes under a Safety Car.

“The second version is: once you make the cars unlap, you need one more lap before a green flag. We win the championship.

“The third? More of an outlier, against the rules, but we could have understood - you have a green flag lap, not behind a Safety Car. Then Lewis would have won because there were three or four cars in between.

“Anyway, this was not part of the rule."

Wolff continued about Masi's involvement: “Then, someone decides that the championship should end with a lap. Unlapping the cars in the middle was unheard of.

“Both drivers were deserving world champions.”

Hamilton hinted at retiring in the immediate aftermath of the 2021 finale.

Upon his return, Mercedes slumped into a dreadful two-year period.

Although he ended his winless run last summer at Silverstone, Hamilton has spent three years without a car that consistently fights at the front.

This year he has swapped Mercedes for Ferrari, aiming to finally capture the elusive eighth F1 title.