Former Footballer Gareth Bale Reveals He Stopped Watching F1 After Bizarre Incident Involving Lewis Hamilton

Former Welsh international footballer Gareth Bale expressed his disappointment with the way the Formula One 2021 season had ended. When asked if he is still interested in the sport, the former Real Madrid winger revealed that he is no longer a Formula One fan.

“I don’t after what happened to Hamilton a few years ago. It was not fair. The fact he had to go through all the traffic and couldn’t pit stop. Like how they let it happen…as soon as he was let through and he was full of petrol it was never a race,” Bale said during his appearance on Random Golf Club.

With Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen involved in the title hunt, the Formula One 2021 championship had ended in an enticing fashion. The two drivers were involved in one of the most controversial title deciders in the history of Formula One at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021.

Having led for most of the race, Hamilton was on the verge of winning the championship that season. But Nicholas Latifi crash forced to have the use of a safety car allowing Verstappen to win the chequered flag and the championship as well. Verstappen’s triumph deterred Hamilton from claiming his eighth Formula One championship.

A section of Formula One fans were livid with the way the title was decided. Many even believed that Max Verstappen received an unfair advantage having been given a chance to put fresh tyres onto his car.

Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, has not yet signed a new contract with Mercedes. The British driver’s current contract is set to expire this year. According to media reports, he was scheduled to meet with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. Hamilton, who is currently seeking a multi-year extension, recently opened up on his Formula One future.

“I don’t really have a huge amount to say on the contract side of things. It’ll get done when it’s done. If that’s next week, if that’s in a month’s time, as long as it gets done it doesn’t really bother me,” the 38-year-old was quoted as saying by news agency AP.

Hamilton has so far won six of his seven championships with Mercedes.