Haug backs Hamilton for Ferrari glory after 'stolen' 2021 title
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Former Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug has tipped Lewis Hamilton to clinch his elusive eighth F1 world crown with Ferrari - a title Haug insists was unjustly "stolen" from the Briton in Abu Dhabi 2021.
Few sagas in F1 history have been debated as relentlessly as that controversial race, where a safety car ruling handed Max Verstappen the world championship on the final lap.
Now, Haug, the man who helped resurrect Mercedes' motorsport legacy in the late nineties, sees Hamilton's Ferrari move as a chance to right that wrong and cement his legacy.
Haug's history with Hamilton runs deep. The German witnessed a teenage prodigy blossom into a seven-time champion under Mercedes' wing, a journey that began when Hamilton was just 14.
However, Hamilton's departure to Ferrari after 2024 has left Haug bittersweet.
Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug in 2008 with McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.
"It's actually very sad for me, I have to say," he told Sky Germany. "I would never have thought that Lewis would switch again.
"I've really known him since he was 14 years old. There really is still a great relationship. I hadn't seen him for years… and I don't know.
"When you've worked with people, with racing drivers, for so long, it's like the first day, as if the last meeting was yesterday."
The Ghost of Abu Dhabi 2021
That 2021 finale – where Max Verstappen overtook Hamilton on the final lap amid a safety car debacle – remains a raw wound.
Consequently, the outcome, endlessly rehashed by fans and pundits, saw race director Michael Masi's decision to allow only select lapped cars to unlap themselves spark outrage. Ultimately, for Haug, it's unambiguous.
"The last few years [have been difficult] since the title we lost in 2021. And that really was a stolen title – there's no other way to put it – due to the wrong safety car decision at the time, but there was a demolition after that."
Furthermore, the 72-year-old former journalist sees it as a turning point, a "demolition" that derailed Mercedes' dominance.
"The car and the team that preceded it suffered many setbacks, including last year," he added. "The victories that did come were some at low temperatures."
Ferrari's Redemption Shot
At 40, Hamilton has joined Ferrari with fire in his veins, and Haug is all-in on his potential.
"Anyone who thinks that he will give up at 40 and step on the gas less and work less intensively will be wrong," he declared.
"He will give everything [at Ferrari]. I absolutely trust him to deliver the maximum possible performance in the race. And if the car is good, why shouldn't it work out with the eighth title?"
Haug envisions Hamilton pairing his relentless drive with Ferrari's storied might to claim the record-breaking crown that slipped away in '21.
In contrast, Haug's faith in Hamilton contrasts with his muted outlook for Mercedes in 2025.
"I think we are, as you know, just as good as we were in the last race," he said, hinting at stagnation since their peak.
But can Ferrari harness Hamilton's hunger to clinch that record-breaking eighth crown? For Haug, it's more than possible – it's a title Hamilton deserved long ago, and one he's poised to seize at last.
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