SUSIE WOLFF Opens Up About 2021 Abu Dhabi GP That Changed Everything

October 29, 2025

• F1 Academy managing director SUSIE WOLFF revealed the lasting impact of the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, describing her “disbelief” that one person’s rule interpretation could alter championship history. Speaking at her memoir launch, she admitted the controversial decision “sat so heavily with me for a long time afterwards,” showing how the moment affected not just drivers but key figures working to advance the sport.
• The 2021 finale saw race director Michael Masi make a late safety car call that allowed Max Verstappen to overtake Lewis Hamilton on fresher tires, ending Hamilton’s championship hopes despite leading late in the race. The FIA later acknowledged Masi’s “human error” in calling in the safety car earlier than regulations demanded, but the damage was done to what had been F1’s most successful driver-team partnership.
• WOLFF’s perspective adds another layer to understanding how that controversial moment rippled through the paddock, particularly for those like her who’ve spent years fighting for credibility and fair play in motorsport. Her emotional response underscores how decisions made in split seconds can undermine years of work and achievement, a reality she knows well from her own journey breaking barriers in racing and now leading F1 Academy’s mission to develop female talent.

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