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Lewis Hamilton was lucky several times during the 2021 F1 season, as per Honda boss Masashi Yamamoto.
Honda returned to relevance in F1 after their partnership with Toro Rosso (now Alpha Tauri) and then Red Bull. The Japanese manufacturers played a vital role in making Max Verstappen the 2021 F1 drivers' world champion at Hamilton's expense.
Speaking to Autosportweb during an interview, Yamamoto had this to say about Lewis Hamilton's good fortune during the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola:
“Lewis (Hamilton) made a mistake, went off the track, and lost a lot of time. However, the red flag allowed his car to be repaired and he was able to make up the lost lap time. Lewis has been lucky a few times this season and this was one of them.”
Yamamoto was referring to Lewis Hamilton going wide and almost getting stuck in a gravel trap at Imola on lap 31. The Briton also suffered substantial damage to his front wing while attempting to return to the track.
Hamilton was aided greatly by a subsequent red flag that allowed his Mercedes team to repair the Briton's W12. A major crash between George Russell and Valtteri Bottas was the cause of the stoppage. He ultimately recovered to finish the race in P2, behind Max Verstappen.
Lewis Hamilton's luck ran out at the end of the season though. The Briton was on course to win a record-breaking eighth drivers' world championship. A late crash and Safety Car period this time, however, went against the 36-year-old, resulting in Verstappen's maiden world title triumph.
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes probably regret Austrian Grand Prix switch, feels Jolyon Palmer
Masashi Yamamoto pointed out Lewis Hamilton's good fortune in 2021. Jolyon Palmer, however, feels the Briton's world championship challenge was the victim of bad luck at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix. So much so that it may have ultimately cost him the title at the end.
While compiling his list of star performers and key moments for Formula1.com, Jolyon Palmer could not help but take note of the Austrian Grand Prix. He wrote:
“...In the end, it felt like Red Bull were more preoccupied by the drivers’ title, as they sacrificed Perez’s races a couple of times in Silverstone and Abu Dhabi, while Mercedes possibly regretted ordering Bottas back past Hamilton in Austria...”
Lewis Hamilton was in P2 when he ran wide on lap 48. The Briton rode over the sausage kerbs at the Spielberg circuit, suffering substantial floor damage as a result.
The damage proved to be too much for Hamilton as he tried to catch up to Max Verstappen in first place. Mercedes subsequently took the call to allow Valtteri Bottas to switch with Hamilton and pursue the Red Bull.
Late on in the race, Hamilton was put under pressure by compatriot Lando Norris, who eventually took P3, leaving Hamilton to settle for P4.
Palmer believes he lost vital points in this race, which could have ultimately played a role in him missing out on the world championship.
