“My worst fears came alive. I was like, there’s no way they’re cheating on me. There’s no way. It’s not gonna happen. Surely not.”
Hamilton was on course to claim his eighth world title until Williams Racing driver Nicholas Latifi crashed into the barriers with four laps remaining, prompting the call of the safety car.
Former F1 race director Michael Masi cleared the race to restart on the final lap and Verstappen was allowed to start almost side-by-side with Hamilton, although the Mercedes driver had already built up a considerable lead.
Verstappen eventually overtook Hamilton on fresh tires and won his first F1 world title.
Hamilton said after the race he remembered sitting in his car “in disbelief”.
“I don’t know if I can really put into words the feeling I had,” he added.
“I remember sitting there in disbelief. And realizing that I gotta undo my seat belts, I gotta get out of there, I gotta get out of this thing, I gotta find the strength,” he added. “I had no strength. And that was one of the hardest times, I would say, that I’ve had in a very, very long time.”
“Something was wrong”
The outcome of the race drew mixed reactions on social media.
Asked if he felt cheated by Masi’s decision and the ensuing controversy, Hamilton told the magazine: “I knew what happened. I knew what decisions were made and why. Yeah, I knew something was wrong.”
After a feverish end to an intense season, Hamilton said he found solace in his father’s arms.
“He kissed me, and I think he was like, ‘I want you to know how proud I am of you.’ That your dad kisses you that way is one of the most profound things,” he said.
“Especially since you didn’t often grow up with it.”
