Christian Horner has revisited his exchange with former Formula 1 race director Michael Masi during the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, revealing in his book Drive how he urged race control to restart the race as Max Verstappen pursued Lewis Hamilton for the world championship.
Almost five years after one of Formula 1’s most disputed championship deciders, the former Red Bull team principal has described his frustration at the prospect of the season ending behind the Safety Car. His account offers further insight into the pressure surrounding the decisions that ultimately allowed Max Verstappen to challenge Lewis Hamilton on the final lap.
Abu Dhabi 2021: the Safety Car that changed the F1 title fight
The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix remains one of the most controversial races in Formula 1 history. It was the night Max Verstappen secured his first world championship after a sequence of race control decisions that prompted widespread criticism and an enduring debate about how the regulations were applied.
The decisive moment came when the Safety Car was deployed following an accident involving Nicholas Latifi. Lewis Hamilton had been leading the race, with Max Verstappen behind him, but the neutralisation created an unexpected opportunity for Red Bull.
Max Verstappen stopped for fresh tyres, while Mercedes elected to leave Lewis Hamilton on track, believing the race might not resume before the chequered flag.
However, Michael Masi subsequently allowed only certain lapped cars to overtake the Safety Car, accelerating the restart procedure and creating the opportunity for a final-lap contest between the two championship rivals.
The decision dramatically altered the conclusion of a title battle that had appeared to be heading towards a Lewis Hamilton victory. The controversy has continued to shape discussions about race control and the application of Formula 1’s sporting regulations, including the wider debate surrounding the FIA’s decisions involving Lewis Hamilton.
Christian Horner reveals his reaction to five lapped cars
Several exchanges between team representatives and race control became central to the controversy, including the now-famous protest from Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
“No Michael, that is so not right,” Toto Wolff exclaimed as the situation unfolded.
In his book Drive, Christian Horner has now offered his own account of what was happening in the Red Bull garage during those decisive moments.
“My heart sank when I saw the five lapped cars between Max and Lewis. That meant Max would have to overtake them before challenging Hamilton, and that was impossible in just one lap,” Christian Horner wrote.
“The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the finale to an intense season, and it was coming to an end in the worst possible way. The world wanted a battle between the two, not a disappointing finish.”
At that moment, the five backmarkers separating Max Verstappen from Lewis Hamilton appeared to represent an insurmountable obstacle with so little racing time remaining.
What Horner told Michael Masi before the restart
Christian Horner also recalled addressing Michael Masi directly over the race control radio channel, urging the Australian to find a way of allowing the championship contenders to race.
“Come on, Michael, we need to get the race going again. Why aren’t the lapped cars moving out of the way? It would be a shame to finish behind the Safety Car. Let’s race,” Christian Horner recalled saying.
The appeal formed part of the intense pressure surrounding race control as officials attempted to complete the recovery of Nicholas Latifi’s car and determine whether racing could resume.
Michael Masi ultimately permitted the five lapped cars between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen to unlap themselves, setting up the decisive final-lap restart.
The handling of that procedure generated a major sporting controversy, with critics arguing that the pursuit of a dramatic finish had taken precedence over the established application of the regulations.
Why the 2021 Abu Dhabi controversy still divides Formula 1
The events of Abu Dhabi continue to attract attention because they determined the outcome of an exceptionally close championship battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Christian Horner’s recollections provide a further perspective on the atmosphere inside Red Bull during the closing stages, particularly the frustration created by the possibility of finishing behind the Safety Car with five lapped cars separating the title contenders.
His account also highlights how team representatives were actively seeking a racing conclusion while Michael Masi faced the task of managing the final laps under extraordinary pressure.
The resulting decisions prompted intense scrutiny and widespread criticism, leaving a controversy that continues to follow Formula 1 years after Max Verstappen secured his first world championship.
Horner’s description in Drive brings those decisive moments back into focus, reopening the discussion about the balance between sporting regulations, pressure from teams and the desire to deliver an exciting conclusion to a championship season.
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