Mercedes unveils its W12 at Brackley, symbolizing the bittersweet highs and lows of the dramatic 2021 Formula 1 season.
Mercedes F1 has displayed in the lobby of its factory Lewis Hamilton’s car, which was at the center of the controversial 2021 championship defeat.
The last time Hamilton drove the W12 was during the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, where he lost the world championship to Max Verstappen.
The outcome of the race shifted when race director Michael Masi violated the rules by orchestrating a restart on the last lap without allowing all lapped cars to un-lap themselves and join the lead lap. Masi was replaced and left the FIA the following year.
Mercedes was outraged by the championship’s conclusion, which cost Hamilton a record-breaking eighth world title. The team unsuccessfully protested the race management and decided not to take the matter to the International Court of Appeal. However, Hamilton and team principal Toto Wolff boycotted the FIA’s prize-giving gala.
The team has since endured three largely unproductive seasons. Hamilton is set to join Ferrari at the end of the year. Mercedes has now showcased the car from the contentious 2021 finale in the lobby of its Brackley headquarters.
Wolff stated the aim of displaying the W12 is to reflect on the highs and lows of that season.
“It’s a special car because it’s also the car that turned things around after Brazil, where we thought the championship was over, and it was a very good car during the summer of 2021. Finally, it’s a car that reminds us all how quickly things can go wrong, but also how quickly they can go right.”
“That’s essentially how life unfolds. And this car serves as a stark reminder of all the joy and pain a season can bring.”
He admitted he still thinks about the circumstances of Hamilton’s 2021 championship loss “every week.”
“I mostly think about it because I believe Lewis deserved to be the greatest of all time with eight world championship titles. We can always debate that season; I think Max and Lewis both deserved to be champions.”
“There were moments during the year when Max lost points he shouldn’t have. Look at Silverstone, look at the Monza crash they both had. So, they both deserved to be champions. But that afternoon in Abu Dhabi, it was unfair. With fairness, Lewis would have had his eighth title.”
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Mercedes W12 Displayed: The Car of Triumph and Despair Mercedes W12 Displayed: The Car of Triumph and Despair
