Hamilton was on course to take an eighth F1 drivers’ title until the final five laps of the Yas Marina climax to a hotly contested 2021 season, which tipped the race on its head and allowed Max Verstappen to clinch his maiden title. Although Mercedes protested the results and appealed the decision to throw that protest out, the team has since elected to withdraw its appeal. Wolff explained that both he and Hamilton would struggle to overcome “the pain and distress” following the race, but hoped that the disappointment of losing the title in such a controversial manner would not push Hamilton towards the exit door. “Lewis and I are disillusioned at the moment,” said Wolff. “We are not disillusioned with the sport, we love the sport with every bone in our body and we love it beca …