"Nothing’s going to change the result" - Former F1 world champion feels fans were 'cheated' out of a decisive finish to 2021 season

Former F1 world champion Damon Hill believes fans were 'cheated' out of a decisive finish to the 2021 season. The Briton, however, maintains that neither Max Verstappen nor Lewis Hamilton cheated on the track to get an advantage.

Former race director Michael Masi's handling of the late safety car in Abu Dhabi last year meant that Max Verstappen could make the championship-winning move on Lewis Hamilton, who was comfortably leading the race. While Verstappen is still the sport's 2021 world champion, fans around the world were left scratching their heads as to what exactly happened that night in Abu Dhabi. Hill doesn't blame the Dutchman for leaping at a late opportunity last year but feels the sport was cheated by Masi.

The 1996 F1 world champion told Sky Sports:

“I think it was very damaging. I don’t think there were any cheats out there, but I think we could be excused for saying we were cheated out of a clear, unambiguous finish in a last race to decide a World Championship. That’s how everyone felt, everyone was scratching their head at the end of that racing asking what just happened.”

Hill added:

“Ultimately nothing’s going to change the result. But you can understand people’s feeling of anger, and maybe Lewis’s sense that he was deprived of any title that should have gone to him under the Safety Car.”

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Cost cap could change the pecking order, claims former F1 world champion

Former F1 world champion Damon Hill claims the cost cap could change the pecking order in the sport. The Briton praised the new regulations, claiming the cost cap is good for the sport's future.

The FIA introduced new aerodynamic as well as financial regulations in 2022. F1 teams were given a budget limit of $145 million to use for this year's campaign. Hill claims that while the new regulations will require some 'adjusting' in coming times, they are likely to help smaller teams battle the big names.

The Briton told the F1 Nation podcast:

"This season, the new cost cap regulations, it's hard to remember back to the beginning, when this was a completely new set of regulations. This was all completely new. We didn't know which way it was going to go, and I think it's been a huge success. And we're going to see, long-term, the effects of the cost cap having a role to play and more pressure coming from below, from the teams down the grid who can do more testing [and] more development if they've got the money."

He concluded:

"It will get more difficult to win in this formula in years to come.

As it stands, however, teams such as Haas and Williams are a long way from battling at the top of the table. It is unclear how the sport can fix this issue, but perhaps only time will tell.