Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has decided to return for the 2022 Formula 1 season despite the continued inequity of the official FiA inquiry into the season-ending 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix where Hamilton was well on his way to an eighth title only to have race director Michael Masi go rogue and improperly change rules at the race end that prevented Hamilton from winning the race with a proper implementation of the rules.
After first not immediately reacting to the situation, then taking months to slowly address it, the FiA finally took the most obvious but least surprising action and sacked Masi from his race director role but so far has done nothing to address the mess Masi created at race end that specifically cost Hamilton an equitable chance at his eighth world title.
Mercedes, of course, appealed and reached a deal with the FiA to hold off on any further appeals or comments until the FiA completed their inquiry into the race but Hamilton, for his part, elected to go offline after the race, when it became apparent that the FiA was going to initially support Masi’s rogue decisions and not adequately address his end-of-race decisions with actual, equitable responses.
“I never said I was going to stop. But it was a difficult time for me and I really needed to step back,” said Hamilton. “It was a time where I really needed to step back, focus on being present,” he said. “I had my family all around me creating great moments.”
Hamilton will have fellow Brit George Russell as a teammate this year after the departure of Valtteri Bottas to be the lead driver of the Alfa Romeo team.