2021 World Champion Max Verstappen finally admitted to getting lucky at the Abu Dhabi GP, saying the miracle he needed arrived just in time.
Verstappen became champion by defeating Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton on the last lap of the last race at Yas Marina. Having spent the entire race chasing shadows, a Safety Car and some bizarre rule interpretations handed the Dutchman the opportunity to take the lead, something he duly did.
There was no chance of him beating his title rival were it not for that miraculous slice of luck. Although it came under highly controversial circumstances, ‘Super Max’ reckoned he absolutely deserved it.
While discussing the chaotic finale, Verstappen finally admitted to getting lucky at Abu Dhabi, but said that he was unlucky throughout 2021 and needed that in the UAE.
“It’s always difficult to really use the right word for it but you need a bit of luck in your life, and I think up until that point I didn’t really have a lot of luck in the season – otherwise I think the championship would have been decided way earlier,” he said during an interview with Sky Sports.
“Luck came at the right time for me and then of course you still have to take the opportunity, which we did as a team.”
Against all odds
“It looked very tough out there,” he added.
“Of course I could see they (Mercedes) were quicker. I think we tried everything as a team and then I said to myself ‘I’ll just do everything I can here, drive to the limit, give it all, not make it look easy for them’.
“We took the tyres. Maybe in hindsight you could say if they had taken the tyres I would have stayed out and then you have the scenario the other way around.”
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