It has been a couple of days since the sensational events of the Abu Dhabi GP played out in front of millions of Formula 1 fans across the world.
Unfortunately we are not focusing on the fact that we have a different champion since 2016 or that Max Verstappen is the first ever Formula 1 champion from the Netherlands, we are instead looking at the decisions that lead to an ending that no one would have predicted and leaves Formula 1 in the worst possible position.
How did we get to this point.
The race and the championship was finely balanced, both Max and Lewis entered into Abu Dhabi with the same points, however Max had a slight lead over his title rival, with 9 wins over Lewis Hamilton’s 8 if both drivers failed to finish Max would be the Champion on count back.
Qualifying for that first battle, it was won by the young Dutch driver with a monster lap to take the pole position, however this did come at a price as Max had flat spotted his Yellow medium tyre, forcing the Redbull team to use the soft tyre in Q2, meaning that they would have to start on the faster but not as durable tyre compared to Lewis and Mercedes who were able to start on the longer lasting medium tyre.
Controversy on the first lap….
Due to the characteristics of the softer tyre and the speed of Mercedes it was imperative that Max is in front of Mercedes off the line, unfortunately this did not happen, the 7 time champion Hamilton nailed the start and took the lead, putting Redbull and Verstappen on the back foot immediately.
Max knew this and attempted to hound the Mercedes’ in front him, c oming off the newly designed 5th corner Max followed the Mercedes’ and took a lunge down the inside of the next corner (turn 6), it was a late lunge but controlled, Max ran wide but importantly kept most of the car between the white lines, title rival Hamilton was stuck on the outside, after leaving the door open and a fast charging Max on his inside, he took to the escape road missing turn seven and crucially retained the lead of the race, Max was instantly on the radio to his team …. He needs to give the place back …. The stewards were needed only half a lap into the finale what would the decision be?
Personally, I instantly thought, he [Hamilton] will need to give that place back, he gained an advantage by running off the track.
The stewards looked at the incident and decided that no action was required and that they were satisfied that Lewis gave back all of the time gained by cutting the corner.
Yet another inconsistent decision by the Formula 1 stewards, in the past if a car were to cut the corner and be deemed to have gained a “lasting advantage” they would be asked to give the place back, if that didn’t happen they would be slapped with a time penalty.
This incident happened only a week previously at the Saudi Arabian GP when the stewards deemed Max’s move on Hamilton going into the first corner as being illegal and that Max gained and advantage by leaving the track, he was asked to return the place, then slapped with a 5 second time penalty.
Would the stewards or race director intervene to determine the closest Formula 1 finale since 1974. (The last and only other time in Formula 1 that two drivers entered the final race equal on points.)
No one would have guessed how the Championship was decided…..
The majority of the race was controlled by Mercedes’ and Lewis Hamilton, it was clear that they were faster than Redbull. Max and his teammate Sergio Perez kept a close second and third but were unable to get close enough to do anything.
Lewis had it locked in, he was in “hammer time”, time and again the Mercedes’ driver found his form at the best time, at times when his back was against the wall, he would turn it up a notch, a notch that most didn’t even know existed.
The only thing that could stop the Mercedes driver’s march to his record breaking eighth title was something that was never foreseen, in a season that provided the Formula 1 world with an exciting French GP, an extraordinary event at the end of one of the most exciting season for a generation was destined and written in the stars.
The Ending of all Endings
The beginning of the most divisive and extraordinary ending to a Formula 1 season began when the Williams driver Nicholas Latifi crashed with Fife laps remaining, Race Director instantly deployed the safety car and Redbull brought in Max Verstappen, the Dutch driver was in a position to have a “free” pit stop, a luxury that Lewis and Mercedes did not have. Redbull flung on the red walled soft tyre on the RB16B. This was a long shot, they had armed their best weapon with the best and strongest ammunition, will he have a shot?
As the marshall’s removed the stricken Williams car from the track, clearing the shattered carbon fibre away from the firing line, questions were being asked, will there be anymore racing? Will Hamilton win the final race and a record eighth championship behind the safety car, under an enforced cease fire?
In some ways the ending the race and championship in such an anti climatic way has a kind of poetic balance to it, as if fate had to bring some logic and calmness to a chaotic and illogical war.
These questions were answered in probably the most chaotic and confusing ways possible, at first Race Control decided that none of the lapped cars would not be allowed a pass, this was crucial as Max Verstappen, with his fresh and fast tyres was stuck 5 cars behind the Mercedes in first. A one lap showdown with 5 lapped cars staying out of the way and still giving the young Dutch driver an opportunity to battle with Mercedes and Lewis before the chequered flag looked slim at best, until suddenly a message passed across the screen “lapped cars can now overtake, not all cars, just the cars that sit between the two title protagonists, the battle would resume, however Mercedes would be on the back foot, with old hard tyres against the hard aggressive Redbull with the fastest and freshest set of tyres, it wasn’t much of a fight as Max Verstappen took his opportunity at the new turn 5, diving down the inside of Lewis Hamilton and into the lead and the record books as [almost] the first Formula 1 Champion from Netherlands. Lewis tried to battle back, but it was futile, the damage was done.
Mercedes team principle and co-owner, was incensed and took to the radio to air his disdain and anger to the Race Director, Michael Masi, his protests were met with a pretty stern and blunt return, it was a motor race!!
As the world of Formula 1 attempted to digest what had just happened, this was not against Redbull, but more around how the result got to the way it did. Almost instantly social media was alight with conspiracy and equal amounts of anger, delight and what just happened.
As the TV pictures were capturing the emotion from the Redbull garage, a shot of Lewis Hamilton sitting in his car, so close to his record breaking title, snatched away in the most unbelievable of circumstances.
Lewis finally exited his Mercedes, taking some time with his father, before appearing to the media, he was gracious, magnanimous in his defeat, congratulating Max Verstappen in his victory, before he headed away to take time and process what had just happened.
Max was also very respectful in his delight, in all honesty he did nothing wrong, he took the opportunity that was given to him, every other driver would do the same. Max thanked his team, fans, with a special mention given to Sergio Perez for being almost the perfect wingman, which is more than can be said for Valterri Bottas.
The Fallout
Almost as soon as the confetti hit the tarmac and the fireworks had stopped, Mercedes lodged two protests, both aimed at the ending of the race. One was frivolous at best, accusing Max Verstappen of passing under the Safety Car. This was dismissed pretty quickly, although max had passed the Mercedes it was only slightly and for a very short period of time. The Dutch driver had returned to his second place prior to the race returning to green.
The second and the most important protest was regarding the Safety Car protest, in effect Mercedes argued that the FIA or Michael Masi, as the Race Director had not followed their own rules.
The main point of the argument centred around the word “following”, Mercedes argued that when the Race Director informed the cars to un-lap themselves, the Safety Car was duty bound to remain out on track until the next lap as described in 2021 FIA Sporting Regulations Article 48.12, meaning the race would have finished behind the Safety Car, putting Lewis Hamilton at the top of the Championship. This did not happen, with the Safety Car Ending message being put out almost as soon as the lapped cars were clear of the Safety Car.
To muddy the waters somewhat, the counter argument involves two regulations, 48.13 and 15.3.
Article 48.13 supersedes article 48.12, in that when the message “Safety Car in this lap” message is displayed, the Safety Car HAS to return to the pits at the end of THAT LAP, further to this article 15.3 (e) states that the Clark of the course and Race Director has “overriding authority” on the Safety Car. Michael Masi stated that changing the procedure was within his authority as noted in this article.
Unsurprisingly, the Race Stewards accepted this argument and dismissed Mercedes’ protests. A lengthy explanation was released explaining the reasons.
Aftermath
The aftermath has not been a good one, with hashtags trending asking for Michael Masi to leave his position and that the FIA had engineered the ending for the “show”.
In a season that was exciting from race one to race 22, this was the ending that no one wanted, instead of celebrating the season and the new Champion, we are focusing on the errors and the perceived mistakes of the people, who were supposed to give us the trouble free climax that we desperately wanted.
In the aftermath of the decisions from the stewards, Mercedes lodged and intent to Appel the Stewards decisions, it doesn’t mean that an appeal has been submitted, rather that they want the time to decide if they will appeal. They have 72 hours to decide to lodge the appeal, moving this from the Abu Dhabi Stewards room to a court room in Paris.
What in the FIA?
At the time of writing the FIA have announced that they will be launching an investigation in to the events if the end of the Abu Dhabi GP, they have stated “…detailed analysis and clarification exercise” into the running of the race, with all teams and drivers, “to draw any lessons from the situation”
Further to this, FIA have decided to appoint Peter Bayer to a new position of executive director of F1, Bayer will oversee Masi, Tombazis and Jo Bauer amount other staff.
This could be seen as a reaction to the Abu Dhabi, in truth it is probably not, it is Formula 1 attempting to bring the sport under a similar governance that was adopted by the respected Charlie Whiting, the sadly missed Director of F1, who passed away on the eve of the 2019 season. Although Charlie was the Race Director, he had other roles within the F1 sphere, including keeping F1 running smoothly under the FIA, this part of Charlie Whiting’s remit was never replaced.
Rules and Regulations and Rules and Regulations.
With a complex sport like Formula 1, there are a number of rules and regulations, for the most part this is expected and required. However the issue stems from the apparent need to regulate the regulations, this over regulations adds complications and avoidable grey areas with in the governance of the sport.
With all regulations there is going to be a level of interpretation of the rules, this is evident with similar moves on track being penalised slightly differently over the course of the season. These slight differences can be argued and to a degree accepted, however when the regulations become complex and heavy, the interpretation of the rules becomes wider, decisions become inconsistent and can seem from the outside erratic.
Inconsistently in a sport like Formula 1 is unacceptable, if a driver were inconsistent, they would be replaced, when the rules and the governance is inconsistent, fans become disassociated with the sport, they lose the connection. What is worse, inconsistency can also be dangerous to the drivers, confusion on what a driver can and can’t do should not be happening.
The FIA have an opportunity to organise there house as it were, they have a new set of regulations finally taking to the track in 2022, they have crop of drivers that are talented, passionate and hungry for success.
Governance should help Formula 1 grow and expand, not anger and confuse.
FIA the ball is now in your court, its time to serve an ace, just don’t give us a double fault.