PSYCHOLOGY IN FORMULA ONE

Why was Abu Dhabi a Traumatic Loss for Lewis Hamilton and Why It Should Also Have Been a Traumatic Loss for any Sports Fan - Including Fans for Red Bull?

The 2021 World Championship -

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton v. Red Bull's Max Verstappen (part 2)

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After his loss at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the resulting loss of the 2021 World Championship, Lewis Hamilton stated in an interview:

"I think when anyone experiences trauma... because you know it can be a traumatic experience when you lose something that you worked hard for...or whatever it may be... I think that will always be a part of me but I would like to think that I've gained strength from it... I would say.. um and just reminded... myself of the strength that I have within..."

As a psychotherapist, I was immediately struck by Hamilton's use of the word "trauma".

If you read my previous post here, you know that I also felt traumatized in that moment - when the 2021World Championship was determined by a last-minute, controversial call from the race director. And I was, just a fan.

I can imagine why Hamilton might have felt traumatized on many levels. But I also imagine there were people who heard him - or who hear any athlete refer to a loss as traumatic - and think: "Really? How could losing one race be traumatic for Lewis Hamilton? He is arguably the greatest Formula One driver of all time?"

Except - it wasn't just one race. It was the race.

It was the race that determined the World Championship. A race that, had the rules been followed, would likely have secured Hamilton a record-breaking, history-making eighth world title — breaking his tie with Michael Schumacher - something no other driver has been close to doing.

There are also those with more cynical takes: "How can someone with millions of dollars, seven world championships, luxury homes, cars and boats, possibly feel traumatized by a single loss? Get over it!"

And to be fair, someone might also reasonably ask: why would a fan like me feel traumatised by his loss when I don't even know Lewis Hamilton personally?

So I wanted to explore these questions from a

therapeutic perspective:

Why Might That Loss Feel Traumatic To Lewis Hamilton?

(with the huge caveat that respectfully, of course I don't know what Lewis Hamilton actually thinks or feels-

these are simply hypothetical possibilities)

And why might anyone- including a fan like me- feel traumatized by the outcome of that race?

Defining Trauma

In American psychology, we reference the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which defines trauma as involving an immediate threat to life, physical injury, or sexual violence.

But other respected organizations broaden the definition. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines trauma as an event or circumstance that results in physical or emotional harm and has lasting effects on a person’s well-being—mental, physical, emotional, social, or even spiritual.

Globally, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), maintained by the World Health Organization, offers a more extensive definition, one that includes events that are “threatening or horrific” and from which escape is difficult or impossible.

In short: there is no single definition of trauma. And if we rely on just one, we’re likely using a definition that’s too narrow.

Psychological Trauma from Experiencing or Witnessing Injustice

In both my personal life and professional work, I've come to believe there’s a particular kind of trauma we experience when our deep sense of fairness and justice is violated. We can experience this directly or we can witness it happen to others.

When Lewis Hamilton got into his car that day in Abu Dhabi, he was fully, unmistakably Lewis Hamilton. I’ve never seen him in person, but even through a television screen, his presence is undeniable. He carries himself with a kind of quiet, steady dignity — a larger-than-life sense of honor and integrity that you can feel whether he’s preparing for a race, speaking to the media, or interacting with the people around him.

He doesn’t just show up as a world-class athlete; he shows up as a world-class human being. Time and time again, in post-race interviews, I’ve seen him take responsibility for mistakes — even when it would have been easier to blame the car, the strategy, or sheer bad luck. He owns his part, both in victory and in defeat, and that kind of accountability is rare.

Throughout his extraordinary career, Hamilton has demonstrated unwavering commitment not only to winning, but to representing the very best of what the sport can be. As Michelle Obama famously advised, “When they go low, we go high” — and Hamilton exemplifies that ideal. He chooses the higher road, even when it’s the hardest one to take, because it’s the right one for himself, for his team, and for the sport. -- unintended pun there! :)

That specific day, in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton carried with him a long career and understanding of the rules—the same rules everyone, from drivers, teams to broadcasters and fans, believed would govern the final and decisive race of a breathtaking season to determine the World Champion for 2021.

But in the final moments of the race, a rule wasn't just bent- it was altered beyond recognition, and the consequences were enormous.

The race director didn’t just make a tough call under pressure. In that moment, he shattered the shared foundation of fairness and sportsmanship that holds the sport together.

Not one driver on the track understood how the race director was altering the rule because it was just incorrect - it confused all the drivers as well as the engineers, pit crew and Team Principals. As fans, we could hear it broadcasted over the radios and on live coverage yet the race continued as a total clusterf-*#k.

Hamilton wasn’t just denied a win. He was denied a RIGHTFUL, EARNED, and HARD FAUGHT win—AND a historic, record-breaking eighth world title.

That’s why this wasn’t just a sporting loss. It was a moral and ethical loss and injury.

And psychological trauma often results when a person is rendered powerless in the face of a wrong they cannot stop. Hamilton couldn't stop what was happening. Toto, Mercedes Team Principal couldn't do anything even though he tried to advocate for fairness.

Why This Hurts So Much and Is So Hard to Move On From

This kind of trauma arises when:

• Something unjust occurs.

• The violation is clear and blatant.

• You are powerless to stop it.

• Others refuse to acknowledge the injustice—or worse, they might even celebrate it or go along with it if and when it serves them.

In those moments, reality no longer makes sense. The rules you thought mattered suddenly don’t. You feel gaslit and completely disillusioned.

For a true sports fan who wants a fair competition - no matter who they are rooting for - a true fan of Formula One - the only questions in their mind should have been: How can this be happening? Why isn’t anyone stopping this? and these results better be overturned because it clearly isn't a fair outcome.

It was incredibly disheartening to me to see so many people were willing to accept the outcome - yes because they were Red Bull fans but also, for reasons that I won't go into detail in this article but to quickly mention because there are so many psychological research studies that show how human beings go along with things EVEN WHEN WE KNOW THEY ARE WRONG OR AGAINST OUR BELIEFS.

These studies demonstrate how we HAVE to try harder and be truly courageous to speak out against injustice because tragically, more often than not, research shows that human beings have a tendency to go along with what they know is wrong if that is the path of least resistance.

Trauma from Injustice and Unfairness

When we experience an event that conflicts so deeply with our sense of fairness and order — whether directly or as a witness — the impact can feel disorienting and even traumatizing. The mind struggles to reconcile what it knows should happen with what actually did happen. This is especially true when we are powerless to stop it.

Hamilton didn't just lose a race. He was subjected to an injustice at the highest level of his sport — an injustice that denied not only his rightful championship but also the meaning and trust embedded in the rules themselves.

And for fans, the trauma wasn’t only about the driver they support. It was about watching the integrity of the sport get compromised, and realizing that even at the most elite level, fairness isn’t guaranteed. That realization can feel crushing.

Being Discounted and Dismissed

What made this moment even more painful for many — myself included — was what happened immediately after. When Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff protested, trying to call attention to the obvious injustice, the race director didn’t respond with empathy or reflection. Instead, he brushed it aside with a dismissive, almost flippant remark:

"Toto, it’s called a motor race. We went car racing."

That comment perfectly captured the helplessness that so often amplifies trauma. Not only was fairness violated, but the people speaking up for it were disregarded. This kind of dismissal, especially in the face of clear wrongdoing, can deepen the emotional wound. Toto was dismissed by the very person who committed the mistake and created the turmoil and there was no empathy in his voice in that moment.

Or Worse...

And while all of this was unfolding, the broadcast and much of the world moved on — celebrating the win, congratulating the new champion, and framing the outcome as if it had been just another thrilling finish. For those of us who felt the injustice deeply, the celebration wasn’t just painful — it felt surreal. It left us questioning our own reality. Were we the only ones who saw it? Was fairness just an illusion?

Why It Matters — Even Beyond Racing

This moment in Abu Dhabi wasn’t just about racing, and that’s why it stuck with so many people long after the checkered flag fell. This was a reminder of how injustice — especially when it is witnessed, especially when it’s publicly ignored or minimized — leaves deep, lasting emotional scars.

Whether in sports, at work, in relationships, or in the broader world, we all carry a set of expectations about fairness. When those expectations are violated in such an undeniable and public way, the emotional fallout can look and feel a lot like trauma.

And as Hamilton himself so honestly reflected, even for someone with his experience, success, and strength — the wound from that moment is something he will carry.

But as he also said, it is possible to grow from it. To find strength within it. To hold onto your core values even when the world seems indifferent to them.

And for me, as both a Lewis Hamilton fan, a fan of other drivers on the grid, a fan of fair Formula One racing, and a therapist, that’s the part I hold onto. And am inspired by his strength in the face of something so unjust and heart breaking.

It is hard not to draw a parallel to what is happening in American politics at this time.

I watch it unfold — feeling powerless to stop the unraveling — and the sense of helplessness and disbelief feels painfully familiar. The systems and institutions we expect to hold steady are faltering, and the gap between what should happen and what is happening feels just as disorienting and devastating.