Lewis Hamilton was in an "ok place" soon after Abu Dhabi GP scandal in 2021, claims Toto Wolff

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff recently recalled how Lewis Hamilton quickly recovered after the controversial 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The 2021 F1 season was one of the most intense years in the sport since it saw Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes fighting for both drivers' and constructors' titles against Max Verstappen and Red Bull. The fight for the drivers' title went down to the last lap of the last race, which was quite tantalizing for the entire fanbase. However, the scenario of making both drivers race each other on the final lap came about after a few questionable decisions from race stewards.

During the race, a safety car came out during which Hamilton was leading the pack. Verstappen was slightly unlucky since he pitted for pits and had several lapped cars between him and Hamilton. However, race stewards decided to allow only five lapped cars between the two title contenders to unlap themselves and then restart the race on the final lap.

On the final lap, Max Verstappen chased Lewis Hamilton hard and overtook him to win his maiden world championship. After the race, the seven-time world champion was visibly dejected and emotional. However, he recovered quite quickly according to Mercedes' honcho.

Fast forward to 2024, Toto Wolff spoke on the High-Performance podcast and explained how Hamilton quickly left the F1 world to take a break with his friends in the Carribean. Wolff added that the driver's friends told him that he was 'okay' and was enjoying his holidays by indulging in different adventure sports.

"Lewis and I speak a lot, we text a lot, all along. And I knew he was in an ok place because he immediately left, spent some time in the Caribbean after that race, was doing sports and kite surfing," Wolff said.

"He went to some friends' place in the Caribbean and they told me he's okay, and he took his distance [from the sport]. I was also proud that he has come a long way to cope with difficult moments that he had in the past, that we had," he added.

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Lewis Hamilton admitted that he was "at peace" with AD2021 scandal

Lewis Hamilton shared how he feels about the 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi GP, where he lost his record-breaking eighth world championship after questionable decisions by race stewards.

When GQ asked him in an interview whether he was "robbed", to which he agreed. After agreeing, however, he quickly recalled a fond memory of his father during that time, who was there for him and consoled him. He said that since he and his father have experienced the ups and downs of life, he was able to handle himself after losing the title.

“Was I robbed? Obviously. I mean, you know the story. But I think what was really beautiful in that moment, which I take away from it, was my dad was with me. And we’d gone through this huge roller coaster of life together, ups and downs. And the day that it hurt the most, he was there, and the way he raised me was to always stand up, keep your head high," Hamilton said.

Lewis Hamilton added that if he saw a clip of the race, he would feel all the emotions, but concluded that he was at peace with the entire race and season.

“If I see a clip of it, I still feel it,” he says. “But I’m at peace with it,” he added.

After the 2021 F1 season, Lewis Hamilton was unable to win or fight for any championship since Mercedes' performance dipped in the coming years.