The FIA, the governing body, is still investigating the controversy. It centres around the decisions taken by race director Michael Masi following a crash by Williams’ Nicholas Latifi which brought out the safety car with five laps remaining. Red Bull’s Verstappen, who was well behind Hamilton at the time, took the opportunity to dive into the pits to change his tyres.

When Masi then decided to allow five unlapped cars between Verstappen and Hamilton to unlap themselves, and then withdrew the safety car with one lap remaining, allowing the drivers one final racing lap, the Dutch driver suddenly found himself in the perfect position, on Hamilton’s tail and with fresh rubber.

Describing how the subsequent furore had hit Hamilton, Wolff told Motorsport-Total.com: “He won the World Championship until the last lap, and then everything is taken away from you from one second [to the next]. Of course you lose faith because you can’t understand what has just happened.”

Since Abu Dhabi, Hamilton has received a knighthood from Prince Charles. “What I told him before that was that he should try to take these positive moments with him during these few hours, in which his life’s work and his achievements are honoured,” Wolff added. “I think he did that.”

Ben Sulayem, meanwhile, believes the FIA must be “proactive rather than reactive” in resolving sporting regulations. “I am going to study the case of what happened in Abu Dhabi, and a decision will be taken how to go forward without any pressure from anyone,” he added.