Max Verstappen stared at a massive defeat in Abu Dhabi while Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton took a masterclass before him. Christian Horner, on-air, also admitted that the Dutchman needed a miracle to win his first world title.
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Well, the miracle came from Nicholas Latifi, who got his Williams barely five laps from the checkered flag. As a consequence, the safety car was called, which brought the two title contenders closer together again and rekindled the battle for the championship.
A few controversial decisions later, on the last lap of the race, Verstappen snatched the lead from Hamilton to claim his first world title.
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As a result, FIA Race Director Michael Masi was in the firing line for his title-winning rule, which makes some sense. Unfortunately, Latifi also faced the wrath of Hamilton fans around the world on social media.
Nicholas Latifi stays away from social media
The Canadian has been terribly quiet for a couple of weeks and it turns out he purposely stayed away from social media to stave off the hatred he received for the groundbreaking crash at Yas Marina.
“Hi everyone, I purposely stayed away from social media to calm things down after the events of the last race.”
Formula 1 F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – December 12, 2021 Max Verstappen of Red Bull celebrates winning the race and the world championship with the Dutch flag on the podium, while Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes is watching after the second place REUTERS / Hamad I Mohammed
“Much has been made of the situation that arose after my retirement in Abu Dhabi. I’ve received thousands of messages on my social media accounts – publicly and through DMs. Most of them supported me, but there was also a lot of hatred and abuse, ”read part of his statement.
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Mercedes offers Latifi. his support
Hours after Latifi posted his heartfelt statement on social media, Mercedes’ official Twitter handle endorsed the Williams driver.
“Stay strong Nicholas Latifi. We are at your side in the fight against hatred and abuse on the Internet, “commented Mercedes. That reminds us a lot of the finale of the 2008 F1 season, when Timo Glock took the place of Latifi.
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Stay strong @NicholasLatifi. We are at your side in the fight against hatred and abuse on the Internet. 
– Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@ MercedesAMGF1) December 21, 2021
The German lost his position on the last corner to Hamilton, which led the latter to defeat Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. What followed was a wave of hatred from Tifosi and Brazilian fans; Glock recently admitted that he had faced many threatening phone calls and even letters.
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Overall, it’s a shame indeed that Latifi has to endure such undeserved hatred.
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