Christian Horner Discusses Pressure on Race Director During 2021 Abu Dhabi GP

Christian Horner has disclosed that he intentionally pressured race director Michael Masi to restart the contentious 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a race that remains divisive among fans. This revelation comes from his memoir, Drive, which opens with the events of that race.

During the final laps, Lewis Hamilton was leading, but Max Verstappen had just pitted for fresh tires and faced five lapped cars between him and Hamilton. Horner expressed concern about Verstappen's ability to overtake all five cars in a single lap, prompting him to urge Masi to clear the lapped cars. Masi ultimately decided to allow only the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap, leading to a restart with one lap remaining, which enabled Verstappen to win the championship.

Horner later reflected on the situation, noting that he was unaware at the time that Toto Wolff was also communicating with Masi. He maintained that Red Bull acted within the rules and emphasized that the decision to restart the race was Masi's, despite its unprecedented nature.