Answering all the key questions from a hugely dramatic title decider in Abu Dhabi as Max Verstappen snatches the race and title win from Lewis Hamilton; Mercedes have lodged their intention to appeal the stewards' verdict after their initial protests over the end result were dismissed
Tuesday 14 December 2021 06:06, UK
Lewis Hamilton built considerable leads on three separate occasions in Sunday's race, ahead of Max Verstappen by six seconds before the Dutchman's first and second stops, which he took during the Virtual Safety Car that was deployed for Antonio Giovinazzi's stricken Alfa Romeo.
That made the gap 18 seconds (instead of what normally be close to 30 with a pit-stop in normal conditions) with 20 laps to go, but Hamilton was still comfortable - Verstappen was trailing his title rival by 12 seconds with just six laps left. Christian Horner admitted Red Bull needed a "miracle".
Prayer, answered. Nicholas Latifi's crash then brought out the Safety Car which, as we have seen countless times over the years, nullifies the gaps in the field and brings everyone back together at a reduced pace as the incident is cleared. Cue some crucial decisions, and plenty of controversy...
Mercedes had the same opportunities as Red Bull to utilise the VSC and full Safety Car with a pit-stop, but the big problem they had, rather oddly, was the fact they were leading the race. Whereas Red Bull could afford to pit Verstappen twice and stay second, Mercedes knew that if they stopped Hamilton on either of those occasions, Red Bull would very likely to do the opposite with Verstappen - and the gaps were small enough that he would then be leading the race.
Track position, Mercedes deemed, was key, a decision perhaps influenced by Verstappen's feisty wheel-to-wheel style in defence.
"It's weird, you'd think the guy at the front, he's got the advantage," said Sky F1's Jenson Button. "But he's kind of stuck and it's always more difficult, because he doesn't give away track position."
And Sky F1's Nico Rosberg also noted that as the Safety Car was deployed so late (Lap 54 of 58), "[Hamilton] doesn't know if the race is just going to finish behind the Safety Car. If he pits, Max is world champion."
The F1 regulations also may well have been a factor as, clearly, Mercedes felt there was a good chance there wouldn't be enough time for one more racing lap, particularly one where Verstappen was right behind Hamilton.
"Mercedes was using that framework of regulations in their decision to pit Lewis or not as the Safety Car was deployed," added Rosberg. "Because if the regulations were as they were that lapped cars go past, then the next lap only will the restart happen, Mercedes assumed there was no way this race is going to restart and we'll leave Lewis out."
Though Verstappen had stopped for soft tyres, there were initially still five cars to split him and Hamilton behind the Safety Car as late as Lap 57 of 58. Those were drivers who Hamilton had lapped but Verstappen, after his stop, now hadn't.
But at the end of that penultimate lap, FIA race director Michael Masi both allowed those five cars to un-lap themselves, and signalled the end of the Safety Car period.
That meant Verstappen was now right behind Hamilton and he could attack him on one final lap, on fresh soft tyres suitable for a qualifying run versus Hamilton's hard tyres that had been on for over 40 laps.
Most drivers would have waited until the overtaking opportunities on the straights but Verstappen dove down the inside of the Turn Five hairpin, and Hamilton gave him plenty of room to do so. Hamilton tried to come back up the next two straights, but Verstappen held him off.
Mercedes' protest to the stewards centred on what they argued was the incorrect application of two aspects of one article of the Sporting Regulations.
Article 48 of the 98-page document, which governs the framework of how the sport goes racing, deals with the Safety Car.
Mercedes flagged sub-clause 48.12 which states "..any cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car" and also "…once the last lapped car has passed the leader the safety car will return to the pits at the end of the following lap."
Had these regulations been followed, Mercedes argued, then Hamilton would have won the race and title as the 58th and final tour would have continued to run under Safety Car conditions to the chequered flag.
Although the FIA race director, whose handling of those closing stages has come under heavy criticism, has not spoken publicly since Sunday's race, the stewards' document detailed how he explained the situation to them in the hearing with Mercedes and Red Bull.
Masi stated that the purpose of Article 48.12 that Mercedes cited "was to remove those lapped cars that would "interfere" in the racing between the leaders", and that Article 48.13 was actually the one that applied in this case.
That latter Article states: "When the clerk of the course decides it is safe to call in the safety car the message "SAFETY CAR IN THIS LAP" will be sent to all Competitors via the official messaging system and the car's orange lights will be extinguished. This will be the signal to the Competitors and drivers that it will be entering the pit lane at the end of that lap."
The stewards added that Masi also "stated that it had long been agreed by all the teams that where possible it was highly desirable for the race to end in a "green" condition (i.e. not under a Safety Car)."
Having spoken to representatives from Mercedes, whose group included legal counsel Paul Harris, and Red Bull in two separate rounds of discussions in the hours after Sunday's race, the stewards of the event dismissed the constructors' world champions' challenge.
Although acknowledging that "Article 48.12 may not have been applied fully, in relation to the safety car returning to the pits at the end of the following lap", stewards said that Article 48.13 actually overrides that as "once the message "Safety Car in this lap" has been displayed, it is mandatory to withdraw the safety car at the end of that lap".
They also stated said that Article 15.3 allows the race director to control the use of the safety car, "which in our determination includes its deployment and withdrawal".
Having countered Mercedes claims to the stewards about what they believe unfolded in the closing laps, Red Bull management and their new world champion driver were understandably relieved and thrilled when the stewards delivered their verdicts four hours after the race.
Taking a swipe at Mercedes use of a QC with the stewards, Horner said: "We never wanted to end up in front of the stewards. There was obviously a lot of debate before the race, as it turned out it was very different after the race, but we don't go racing with barristers and so on. It was a shame it ended up there but the stewards made the right call."
For now, Verstappen is confirmed as F1's 34th champion and the first non-Mercedes driver to beat Hamilton since 2013.
But Mercedes have lodged their intention to appeal, which essentially buys them time to consider whether they will indeed mount a full-blown appeal to the FIA's International Court of Appeal.
They have 96 hours - although may come to a decision before then - to consider that option. Coincidentally, that time frame takes them up to Thursday night, when Verstappen is due to be officially crowned champion at the FIA Awards Ceremony.
After that, Mercedes' last option would be to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
While in-session discussion between pit walls and Race Control has been commonplace for years, a relatively new addition to F1 race weekends is the broadcasting of such radio chatter on the world feed. This has produced informative conversations, providing insight behind chaotic and controversial races such as Silverstone and Saudi Arabia.
It was a feature at the end of Sunday's race too, and for many, it was uncomfortable hearing team bosses Toto Wolff and Christian Horner seemingly try to sway decisions at crucial moments.
First Wolff, upon the yellow flags for Giovinazzi's car, came on the radio to ask for there not to be a full Safety Car, and then Horner's conversation with Masi was played out on coverage.
"Why aren't we getting these lapped cars out of the way?" asked Horner on the penultimate lap.
"Just give me... because, Christian... just give me a second, ok?" said Masi. "My main thing is to get this incident clear."
"You only need one racing lap," responded Horner.
Soon after, Race Control displayed the message that the five cars between Hamilton and Verstappen could overtake the Safety Car, leading to some outraged comments from Wolff back to Masi.
"They can't be swaying the decision," said Button. "It's difficult enough for Masi and they shouldn't be doing that during a race. It doesn't feel right to me."
Rosberg agreed: "Christian coming on the radio to the referee saying we just need one lap, that's not ideal and that's the kind of thing we need to look at for next year.
"They shouldn't be speaking to the referee at all, it doesn't happen in football. You can't have a manager during a match calling a referee all the time!"
There are already reports that F1 wants to cut the contact between team bosses and the race director for next year.
Whoever the winner, it's clear that having the a fantastic title battle decided like it was, and the subsequent aftermath, was not ideal for F1, particularly on a day when the sport took centre stage for so many new fans
"Did Formula 1 shoot itself in the foot?" asked Sky F1 presenter Simon Lazenby after the race.
"I wouldn't say that," replied Rosberg. "I would say that there's room for progress."
And he says where the sport can make progress is with its rules and regulations.
"We have delivered an awesome sport this year, it's been the greatest year in a long, long time," he stated. "There's room for progress and this is where we can progress, the regulations, the consistency, the stewarding.
"But it's not too difficult to make progress so I'm hopeful in the winter, a lot can happen."
Masi has faced criticism, although Rosberg said he felt "compassion" for the Australian, who was put in the "ultimate high pressure situation". Brundle also sympathised, and stated that even with all the F1 rules, "somewhere along the line you have to have a referee with a judgement call."
But he also believes Masi needs more help, as his predecessor Charlie Whiting used to have.
"Herbie Blash was Charlie Whiting's right-hand man," said Brundle. "Michael Masi needs more people around him.
"I think he's got too much on his plate. He needs some support up there in my view."
