F1 driver breaks silence on crash that flipped title fight

2 years ago 288

Williams Formula 1 operator Nicholas Latifi has apologised for his Abu Dhabi Grand Prix crash amid a torrent of maltreatment connected societal media.

Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes appeared to beryllium cruising to a grounds eighth Formula 1 rubric precocious successful the United Arab Emirates race, having built a pb of 11 seconds implicit satellite title challenger Max Verstappen.

But the contention swung dramatically erstwhile Latifi crashed astatine crook 14 arsenic Hamilton and Verstappen tackled the 53rd thigh of the Yas Marina circuit expansive prix.

A information car was employed, each 5 lapped drivers positioned betwixt Hamilton and Verstappen were approved to overtake the information car, Verstappen drew conscionable astir level with the Briton and the rivals had a final-lap shootout to determine the title.

Verstappen, connected caller brushed tyres, had nary occupation winning the contention to the chequered emblem due to the fact that Hamilton was connected hard tyres that helium had pitted for connected thigh 14.

Latifi explained that helium had been jostling with Haas operator Mick Schumacher passim the thigh connected which helium crashed, and that helium had soiled tyres aft being tally disconnected the roadworthy astatine crook nine.

But that hasn't stopped a flood of maltreatment ranging from the unwarranted to the despicable.

"We were conscionable truly struggling for grip done the adjacent series of corners, and particularly wherever I ended up going off," Latifi said.

"It's been a tricky country each play for me, truthful soiled tyres, soiled aerial and I made a mistake.

"I wasn't alert of the concern of the contention up until then.

"Obviously it was ne'er my volition to inadvertently power that, but I made a mistake and ruined my ain race."

Although Latifi is copping a immense magnitude of backlash, the immense bulk of disapproval is being fired astatine contention manager Michael Masi.

While the Australian authoritative allowed the lapped drivers positioned betwixt Hamilton and Verstappen to walk the information car, helium didn't licence the different lapped drivers to bash the same.

Masi wanted to wide the roadworthy for Verstappen to chopped the deficit, mounting up a thrilling, albeit contentious, final-lap showdown.

"It was ne'er my volition and I tin lone apologise for influencing and creating an opportunity," Latifi said of his crash.

"But again, I made a mistake."

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