Max Verstappen beats Lewis Hamilton to F1 world title on last lap in Abu Dhabi

[Technics 1210]

If the previous errors in the 21 races were corrected, then the last race wouldn't have been a title decider, MV would've been champion before the final race.

LH is a cry baby. He had favourable decisions go his way throughout the season not to mention the 1st lap penalty which he should've received in the final race.

Go home to Monaco LH. You evade tax, ruin the sport with politics, now pretend you were dignified in a loss. Still you finally took the knee infront of the establishment you blame for historical slavery. At least you get the title 'sir' out of it.

 

[Itachi]

I don't think two wrongs make it right. LH was the deserving winner of the last race and the way it did pan out, is very disheartening to see and questions the integrity of the game in a title decider. The last race left a bitter taste in mouth.

 

[OldWarHorse]

I don't think two wrongs make it right. LH was the deserving winner of the last race and the way it did pan out, is very disheartening to see and questions the integrity of the game in a title decider. The last race left a bitter taste in mouth.

Relax its a whole season. It all averages out at the end.

Max is a deserving championship winner. The most wins, poles etc. Top season from Lewis as well and a supreme athlete that he is, would love to see him wrestle it back in 2022. Hope Ferrari can join in as well.

 

[MenInG]

New FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem has refused to rule out punishing Lewis Hamilton for boycotting its awards ceremony on Thursday.

Hamilton and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff did not attend in protest at the handling of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last Sunday.

Formula 1 rules dictate that the top three drivers in the championship must attend.

"If there is any breach, there is no forgiveness in this," Ben Sulayem said.

Asked to clarify whether he was saying Hamilton would be penalised for not attending the gala, he said: "Forgiveness is always there. But rules are rules.

"I know Lewis is really sad about what happened. I would say he is broken. But we have to look into if there is any breach. [After] a few hours now as president, I cannot give answers without going back to the facts."

Wolff said on Thursday that Hamilton was "disillusioned" after the events of Abu Dhabi and that he could not guarantee the seven-time champion would return to F1 next year.

The FIA has launched an inquiry into the events of Abu Dhabi, where race director Michael Masi appeared not to follow the organisation's own rules when it came to the operation of a late safety-car period, resulting in the championship changing hands from Hamilton to Red Bull's Max Verstappen on the last lap of the race.

The FIA has admitted that the controversy surrounding the race was "tarnishing the image" of F1.

Wolff has accused Masi of "a freestyle reading of the rules and it left Lewis like a sitting duck", and of "robbing" Hamilton of the title. He added that Mercedes would "hold the FIA accountable" for the controversy.

Ben Sulayem, 60, a former rally driver who has been a member of the FIA World Council, F1's legislative body, since 2008, said: "Someone will always get upset. I spoke to Toto and he said to me: 'I am not coming here.'

"I listened to him. When I listened, he started cooling down. We will look into the rules and make sure any situation like this that occurs in the future we will have an instant solution to it. There are so many areas we can improve."

He said he believed that Hamilton, Mercedes and the FIA will be able to "start afresh" in 2022.

"It is a responsibility of me that we forget the past but look into it with improvement," Ben Sulayem said.

"We have to be proactive. We have to improve in every aspect. As a driver, I would be so upset for a while but time is a fact that will cool."

Ben Sulayem is a 14-time Middle East rally champion and former World Rally Championship competitor who has been a motorsport administrator for the past 16 years.

He was elected after a campaign in which he promised to expand motorsport participation around the world and lead the governing body for its members.

His deputy president for sport is Scot Robert Reid, who won the World Rally Championship as co-driver to Englishman Richard Burns in 2001.

Brazilian Fabiana Ecclestone - wife of former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone - is his vice-president representing South America.

He said Ecclestone had been nominated for her experience and credibility having worked for the FIA's member club in Brazil and as part of the organisation of the Brazilian Grand Prix. She is the first woman to have a role as an FIA vice-president.

Ben Sulayem said Bernie Ecclestone had not been involved other than to introduce the pair.

BBC

 

[Firebat]

Nicholas Latifi: Williams driver received death threats after Abu Dhabi crash

Williams driver Nicholas Latifi says he received "extreme" death threats after his crash at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix led to Max Verstappen controversially winning the Formula 1 world title.

Latifi, 26, crashed with five laps remaining, resulting in the safety car being deployed.

The race was then resumed with one lap to go, in which Verstappen passed Lewis Hamilton to win the race and the title.

In a statement, Canadian Latifi said he had received "a lot of hate and abuse".

He revealed: "Going back to the race weekend, as soon as the chequered flag dropped, I knew how things were likely to play out on social media.

"The fact that I felt it would be best if I deleted Instagram and Twitter on my phone for a few days says all we need to know about how cruel the online world can be.

"The ensuing hate, abuse, and threats on social media were not really a surprise to me as it's just the stark reality of the world we live in right now. I'm no stranger to being talked about negatively online, I think every sports person who competes on the world stage knows they're under extreme scrutiny and this comes with the territory sometimes.

"But as we've seen time and time again, across all different sports, it only takes one incident at the wrong time to have things completely blown out of proportion - and bring out the worst in people who are so-called 'fans' of the sport. What shocked me was the extreme tone of the hate, abuse, and even the death threats I received."

The sport's governing body, the FIA, has launched an inquiry into last weekend's events in Abu Dhabi, where race director Michael Masi appeared not to follow the organisation's own rules when it came to the operation of a late safety-car period.

The FIA has admitted the controversy surrounding the race was "tarnishing the image" of F1.

Latifi, who made his F1 debut at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix, added "only one group of people" needed an apology from him - and that was his team.

"Thankfully, I'm comfortable enough in my own skin and I've been in this world long enough that I can do a pretty good job of just letting any negativity wash over me," he said.

"But I know I'm not alone in thinking that a negative comment always seems to stick out more - and can sometimes be enough to drown out 100 positive ones.

"People will have their opinions and that's fine. Having a thick skin is a huge part of being an athlete, especially when you are constantly in a position to be scrutinised.

"But many of the comments I received last week crossed the line into something far more extreme. It concerns me how somebody else might react if this same level of abuse was ever directed at them. No-one should let the activities of a vocal minority dictate who they are.

"Events in the last week have made me see how important it is to work together to stop this kind of thing happening and to support those on the receiving end.

"I realise I'm unlikely to convince those who acted in this way towards me to change their ways - and they may even try to use this message against me - but it's right to call out this kind of behaviour and not stay silent."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/59747656

 

[Firebat]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A message from me after the events of Abu Dhabi <a href="https://t.co/uYj7Ct6ANQ">https://t.co/uYj7Ct6ANQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/eThFec8nAi">pic.twitter.com/eThFec8nAi</a></p>— Nicholas Latifi (@NicholasLatifi) <a href="https://twitter.com/NicholasLatifi/status/1473307518621429774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Technics 1210]

Lewis Hamilton Has Unfollowed Everyone On Instagram Following Formula 1 Loss

Lewis Hamilton has unfollowed everyone on Instagram following his Formula 1 loss.

The driver was pipped to this year's title by his bitter rival Max Verstappen, who beat the Brit on the final lap of the final race of the season to claim victory.

https://www.ladbible.com/sport/lewis-hamilton-has-unfollowed-everyone-on-instagram-20211224

LOL. What a sore loser. Someone pass him the woke wet wipes!

 

[Technics 1210]

Lewis Hamilton loses out to Max Verstappen again as 10 F1 bosses give final verdict.

Lewis Hamilton has been snubbed by F1 team bosses after they collaborated to choose their 'Driver of 2021', Max V! LOL!

==

Max Verstappen pipped Lewis Hamilton to the 2021 World Championship to claim his first F1 crown – and he has now picked up another accolade, as F1’s team principals voted the Red Bull racer their number one driver of the year in our annual poll…

We asked all 10 team bosses to submit their list of the top 10 drivers of the year, under the proviso that their individual ranking would remain anonymous.

Drivers were awarded scores based on the current F1 points system – 25 for the top driver down to one for 10th in each list. Those scores were combined to create a ranking.

And after clinching his first world title, with a record 18 podiums that included 10 victories, Verstappen has come out on top for the first time, edging out last year’s winner Hamilton by 21 points.



Lando Norris, who began the season with 10 successive points scores, including three podiums, was the only other driver to score more than a century of points as he completed the podium for McLaren.

Carlos Sainz was next up in fourth, having secured his best-ever drivers’ standings finish with fifth in what was his first year at Ferrari, with the Spaniard’s team mate Charles Leclerc slotting into P5.

In his first year back after a two-year hiatus, Alpine’s Fernando Alonso was voted the sixth best driver of 2021, with Pierre Gasly a fine seventh for AlphaTauri.

Mercedes-bound George Russell made it successive top-eight finishes in the rankings, the Briton securing his first F1 podium in Belgium this year for Williams, as he finished one place ahead of the driver he’s replacing – Valtteri Bottas, who will drive for Alfa Romeo next year.

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, who secured his first F1 victory in Hungary this year, was a new entry in 10th.

The team principals who took part in the vote in (in alphabetical order) were: Mattia Binotto, Jost Capito, Christian Horner, Laurent Rossi, Andreas Seidl, Guenther Steiner, Otmar Szafnauer, Franz Tost, Fred Vasseur, Toto Wolff

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/...0-drivers-of-2021.1sK8ysV0LK0MIbeNsHAkgY.html

 

[Itachi]

When FIA fights for you, you can't win even if you are HAMILTON.... but true fans know who was the winner on that day. My respect towards Hamilton reached new heights after the race.

 

[MenInG]

It was the championship tussle the Formula 1 world had long been waiting for - and it certainly did not disappoint.

Wheel-to-wheel racing, collisions, accusations, momentum swings, sensational overtaking...Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton's 2021 championship tussle will go down as one of the greatest the sport has ever seen.

This is the race-by-race story of a thrilling season and controversial finish...


Bahrain: Hamilton's triumph against the odds

Heading to the season-opener, it was paddock consensus that it was Red Bull - and not winners of the last seven titles, Mercedes - who had the better package. And that played out through much of the weekend, with Verstappen comfortably on pole and ahead in the race in the early stages.

But a combination of Mercedes strategy - undercutting Red Bull - and superb Hamilton management out in front led to an epic conclusion, with Verstappen charging up behind the seven-time champion in that faster car.

Hamilton held his nerve and, critically, Verstappen miscued his one overtaking opportunity late on by running wide in passing the Mercedes. He had to cede position afterwards, and wouldn't get close again.

A thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle between F1's two stars, who had rarely gone head-to-head before, represented the perfect start to the season - and it was a sensational one for Hamilton, given his win against the odds.

POINTS: HAMILTON 25-18 VERSTAPPEN


Imola: Verstappen wins, Hamilton's lucky break

The Emilia Romagna GP delivered more F1 drama, with Mercedes right back in the fight with Red Bull - but it was Verstappen who triumphed on Sunday to kickstart his season, as a rare Hamilton error ruined his chances.

Verstappen actually started down in third in damp conditions but quickly passed team-mate Sergio Perez and the pole-sitting Hamilton into the first corner - where the two title protagonists touched wheels. Hamilton was just beginning to fight back when he spun off into the gravel, and it looked like his race was very much over.

But not only did Hamilton make it out, but an opportune Safety Car allowed him to come back out in ninth, and he made light work of recovering to take second behind Verstappen.

POINTS: HAMILTON 44-43 VERSTAPPEN


Portugal: Lewis overtakes Max en route to domination

Three races, three wheel-to-wheel battles between Hamilton and Verstappen. But it was Mercedes who had the upper hand in Portimao. Hamilton did drop down to third in the early stages behind Valtteri Bottas and Verstappen, but overtook the off-guard Red Bull driver and then his team-mate on his way to a dominant victory.

The solace for Verstappen was that he managed to get past Bottas despite Mercedes' pace advantage, limiting the world champions' early lead.

POINTS: HAMILTON 69-61 VERSTAPPEN


Spain: Merc masterstroke as Hamilton takes charge

Mercedes once again had the edge on Red Bull at one of their strongholds, but it was Verstappen who led for much of the race after a superb lunge on a far-from-aggressive Hamilton into the first corner.

Hamilton, however, was hunting his prey from then on and an overtake appeared a matter of time - before Mercedes pulled the trigger and fitted him with fresh tyres. The move dropped him more than 20 seconds behind Verstappen, but with a 2s-per-lap pace advantage, a pass was inevitable and Hamilton executed it with typical ease.

After a close start to the season, Hamilton and Mercedes were starting to look rather ominous...


POINTS: HAMILTON 94-80 VERSTAPPEN

Monaco: Verstappen takes first title lead, Hamilton suffers

The famous Monte Carlo streets provide as unique a test as it comes in F1, one that Red Bull have typically relished and one that Mercedes, even in their dominant years, have not always passed with flying colours. But few would have predicted such contrasting weekends for Verstappen and Hamilton.

Hamilton struggled with his setup from Thursday right through to Sunday in Monaco, qualifying way down in seventh and then, stuck behind Pierre Gasly and even overcut by Sebastian Vettel, finished in that position.

Verstappen, meanwhile, inherited pole from Charles Leclerc due to his car damage and then comfortably delivered his first victory in the Principality - one that gave him his first-ever championship lead.


POINTS: HAMILTON 101-105 VERSTAPPEN

Baku: Hamilton fails to capitalise on rival's puncture
The Azerbaijan GP always seems to throw up some chaos, even when you least expect it...

Everything was pointing towards a Verstappen victory as he led a Red Bull one-two - with Hamilton not able to match Max or Perez in the race - with few laps remaining. But a dramatic and cruel tyre puncture both ended the title leader's race completely, and gave Hamilton the perfect chance to claw back some points.

Then came more drama. Hamilton started second for the race restart and looked set to pass Perez into Turn One, when he inadvertently switched a brake switch on his Mercedes steering wheel and missed the corner completely. That dropped him out of the points, leaving Perez to win.


POINTS: HAMILTON 101-105 VERSTAPPEN

France: Verstappen revenge with late pass on Hamilton
After the street races of Monaco and Baku, many expected the more 'normal' French track at Paul Ricard to lead Mercedes to return to the form they had shown in Portugal and Spain. But Red Bull appeared to take a step forward with minor upgrades - and it was Verstappen who beat the Mercedes to pole.

An uncharacteristic mistake at the start of the race allowed Hamilton back through, but Red Bull and Verstappen pulled off a mighty undercut to get back ahead, and then pitted from the lead just 14 laps later - committing to a somewhat risky strategy given Hamilton and Bottas now had track position.

But it turned out to be a masterstroke, with Verstappen storming through Bottas and then closing up to Hamilton, overtaking the Mercedes, who didn't put up much of a fight, on the penultimate lap to extend his title advantage.

POINTS: HAMILTON 119-131 VERSTAPPEN


Styria: Home comforts for Verstappen as run continues

One of the themes of the France weekend was Red Bull - able to run less downforce than Mercedes - appearing to have a big straight-line speed advantage. That was a recipe for success at their home and high-speed Red Bull Ring circuit in Spielberg, and Verstappen made the most of it with a dominant lights-to-flag win from pole.

The only consolation for Hamilton was that he finished second, although it was now clear that Red Bull were on the charge.

POINTS: HAMILTON 138-156 VERSTAPPEN


Austria: Perfection for Verstappen, dejection for Hamilton

The second Austria race resulted in more of the same for Verstappen - who was perhaps even more dominant as he added the fastest lap bonus point to his collection from the previous weekend - while Hamilton hit problems.

After overtaking the McLaren of Lando Norris, Hamilton looked likely to ease to second place again, but picked up unexpected floor damage over the heavy kerbs and quickly started losing time to cars behind.

He was passed by Bottas, and then by Norris, and had to settle for fourth place. While only a six-point difference between second and fourth, Verstappen's title lead was now the equivalent of more than a race victory...

POINTS: HAMILTON 150-182 VERSTAPPEN


Britain: Hamilton and Verstappen crash for first time

This was the race where the title battle truly ignited.

After Verstappen won the first-ever Sprint at Silverstone, extending his lead to 33 points, on the Saturday Hamilton knew he could ill-afford to drop further behind his rival in the main Grand Prix. A thrilling wheel-to-wheel duel ensued over the race's opening half a lap before the rivals came to Copse.

Max Verstappen hit the barriers after colliding with Lewis Hamilton during the first lap of the British GP, resulting in a red flag
With Hamilton trying to overtake down the inside, but Verstappen holding his line on the outside, the type of collision that many long thought inevitable had finally happened. While the Mercedes was able to continue, Verstappen flew off the circuit at high-speed into the barriers at around 180mph, and was later taken to hospital for precautionary checks.

After the post red-flag race restart, Hamilton fought back from a 10-second time penalty to overtake Ferrari's Leclerc on lap 50 of 52 as he secured a record-extending eighth win in front of his home fans, suddenly reducing Verstappen's lead to just eight points.

POINTS: HAMILTON 177-185 VERSTAPPEN


Hungary: Hamilton regains title lead after chaotic race

Hamilton looked in charge when he maintained his lead from pole at the start of the race, but his Mercedes team-mate Bottas caused a multi-car turn-one incident, involving Verstappen, in damp starting conditions, triggering all manner of carnage.

That brought out the red flag and Hamilton found himself all alone on the grid for the restart as he continued on his intermediate tyres, while the rest of the drivers pitted behind him for dry tyres.

The decision dropped him to the back of the field, although the Mercedes driver staged a superb recovery drive to finish second behind Alpine's Esteban Ocon, who won for the first time in F1

Verstappen, meanwhile, could only muster ninth as his afternoon was wrecked by the collision with Bottas, meaning Hamilton held an eight-point advantage heading into the summer break.

POINTS: HAMILTON 195-187 VERSTAPPEN


Belgium: Farcical win for Verstappen

Torrential and never-ending rain ruined what had looked set to be another fascinating tussle between the two title protagonists. The Belgian GP had to be red-flagged after just two laps behind the Safety Car - and almost four hours after the original start time - due to continuous rainfall and poor conditions at Spa.

With no actual racing taking place, the results of qualifying effectively decided the Sunday result too. With half points awarded, pole-sitter Verstappen claimed 12.5 points while Hamilton's third place gave him 7.5 points meaning the Brit's championship advantage was cut to only three points.

POINTS: HAMILTON 202.5-199.5 VERSTAPPEN


Netherlands: Verstappen delights home crowd

The home fans were desperate to see their hero Verstappen triumph at the first Dutch GP since 1985. And he didn't disappoint, emerging victorious from pole ahead of Hamilton, much to the delight of the vocal and colourful local support in the orange-clad grandstands.

The Dutch fans celebrate as Max Verstappen wins his first-ever home Grand Prix to re-take the championship lead
Hamilton's three-point lead before the race was turned into a three-point deficit.

POINTS: HAMILTON 221.5-224.5 VERSTAPPEN


Italy: Hamilton and Verstappen crash again!

Another Sprint weekend and another crash between the two in Sunday's race as tensions threatened to boil over at Monza.

Starting from pole, Verstappen appeared well-set to stretch his championship lead over Hamilton, but he lost the lead to the fast-starting Daniel Ricciardo.

After both suffering slow pit stops, Hamilton and Verstappen's races ended in the gravel at the first chicane after a frightening clash on lap 26 as the Red Bull attempted to overtake the Mercedes. Verstappen was this time found at fault and handed a three-place grid drop for Russia.

Ricciardo went on to win from team-mate Lando Norris as McLaren secured their first one-two finish since the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix.

POINTS: HAMILTON 221.5-226.5 VERSTAPPEN


Russia: Hamilton registers landmark 100th win

The weather once again came to the fore to provide wonderful entertainment at the Russian GP in Sochi.

Verstappen looked in danger of losing significant points prior to the race as he was required to start from the back of the grid after Red Bull installed a fourth engine of the season in his car.

Norris, meanwhile, was heading towards his maiden F1 win, but as rain started falling with just eight laps to go, he opted to remain on his slick tyres, while Hamilton changed for intermediates.

The decision proved catastrophic for Norris as he spun his McLaren into the barriers on lap 51 of 53, with the Mercedes driver capitalising to register an incredible 100th win in F1.

Verstappen, who was seventh before the rain came down, was arguably the big winner though as he changed tyres earlier than many others and finished second.

POINTS: HAMILTON 246.5-244.5 VERSTAPPEN


Turkey: Bottas holds off Verstappen to help Hamilton

This race proved to be about damage limitation for Hamilton, who had qualified quickest, as he was hit with a 10-place grid penalty for having a new engine fitted to his car.

Bottas came to the rescue for his Mercedes team-mate though, producing his best drive of the season at Istanbul Park to win ahead of Red Bull's Verstappen and Perez.

Hamilton, who was running third after starting 11th, was furious after a late pit-stop with only eight laps remaining saw his comeback drive halted as he finished fifth, with Verstappen retaking the championship lead.

POINTS: HAMILTON 256.5-262.5 VERSTAPPEN


USA: Twist in title race as Verstappen triumphs

Hamilton and Mercedes were expected to dominate in the United States, with the Briton having won a record six times before in Austin.

However, Verstappen turned the form book on its head once again, holding off a late charge from his title rival to claim a vital victory.

Despite losing the lead at the first corner, the Red Bull driver pitted first at the opening stops to gain track position and he'd withstand the pressure of a charging Mercedes on fresher tyres to secure his first win in the USA.

That saw the Dutchman increase his world championship lead to 12 points with five races to go.

POINTS: HAMILTON 275.5-287.5 VERSTAPPEN


Mexico: Verstappen dominates, ominous for Hamilton

Despite Mercedes having dominated during the hybrid era, Mexico City has proved to be a happy hunting ground for Red Bull in recent years and so it proved again.

Not that Hamilton looked set to reverse recent momentum, having sprung an upset to take pole.

But Verstappen, starting third, slipstreamed past the Mercedes front row of Hamilton and Bottas at the start, and the 24-year-old never looked like relinquishing that lead as he won by 16.5 seconds for a record third triumph in Mexico and his ninth race victory of the season.

Hamilton now trailed Verstappen by 19 points after doing enough to hold off Perez for second.

POINTS: HAMILTON 293.5-312.5 VERSTAPPEN


Sao Paulo: Hamilton in one of F1's greatest wins

Hamilton's title hopes looked to be evaporating as he was disqualified from qualifying for a rear wing infringement, meaning he started the Sprint from the back of the grid instead of the head of the field. The Brit somehow recovered to finish fifth but a five-place grid penalty for an engine change meant he'd start Sunday's event back in 10th.

However, the seven-time world champion doesn't know when he's beaten and he delivered one of the comeback drives of his career to triumph.

The title rivals went head to head for much of the race and Verstappen angered Hamilton with a questionable defence into Turn 4 on lap 48. That would controversy would run to the next race in Qatar.

The Mercedes driver made the decisive overtake 11 laps later though, reducing Verstappen's lead to 14 points as the paddock headed to the Middle East for the final three races of the season.

POINTS: HAMILTON 318.5-332.5 VERSTAPPEN


Qatar: Hamilton claims successive victories

The Qatar GP was a case of damage limitation for Verstappen after he was given a five-place grid penalty for a yellow-flags infringement in qualifying.

Hamilton converted his dominant pole into a runaway and crucial win to strengthen his hopes of winning a record eighth world title.

Verstappen recovered to finish second on F1's first start at the Losail Circuit and Alpine's Fernando Alonso took his first podium for seven years.

It meant Verstappen's lead was cut to eight points with just two races to go.

POINTS: HAMILTON 343.5-351.5 VERSTAPPEN


Saudi Arabia: Hamilton prevails in all-time classic

In one of F1's greatest-ever races, Hamilton and Verstappen collided again in one of numerous incidents between the pair at the inaugural Saudi Arabian GP.

Hamilton was in complete control when Mick Schumacher crashed into the barriers on lap 10, with the Brit pitting under the subsequent safety car. Schumacher's incident brought out the red flag though and Verstappen, who led the restart having stayed on track, pushed Hamilton wide after his title rival got off the line quickest.

However, Perez, Nikita Mazepin and George Russell all crashed out, bringing out another red flag. Pushed back to third for this restart, Verstappen leapfrogged Hamilton and Esteban Ocon as he reclaimed the lead, setting up an epic tussle between the two title protagonists.

Hamilton was forced to take evasive action after being run wide on lap 37 and Verstappen was told to hand over first place, but as the Dutchman slowed the Mercedes hit him up the back. Verstappen was later penalised for the incident.

Hamilton eventually did get ahead and, with Verstappen second again, it meant both drivers entered the season-decider in Abu Dhabi level on 369.5 points. Incredible.

POINTS: HAMILTON 369.5-369.5 VERSTAPPEN


Abu Dhabi: Verstappen grabs title on last lap after Safety Car controversy

The build-up to the season finale had been dominated by talk that such a relentlessly competitive championship might be decided by a moment of controversy. It ultimately was, but not in the manner expected.

With title contenders tied on points for a final race showdown for the first time since 1974, Verstappen took a brilliant pole yet it was Hamilton who was ahead by the race's first turn and, one moment of wheel-to-wheel drama later around the opening lap aside, the Mercedes driver appeared to be firmly on course for the win that would see him become F1's first eight-time champion.

But then came the lap 53 Safety Car and the final-lap shootout for the title. With Mercedes livid about the manner in which the end of the Safety Car period had ended, with only the lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen allowed to unlap themselves and the race then restarted at the end of that very same tour, the Red Bull on fresh tyres overtook Hamilton into Turn Five and it was Verstappen, aged 24, who was world champion for the first time.

POINTS: HAMILTON 387.5-395.5 VERSTAPPEN

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...-was-ultimately-won-in-an-epic-2021-f1-season

 

[Firebat]

Lewis Hamilton's F1 future remains unclear ahead of 2022 season after controversial title finale

Lewis Hamilton's F1 future remains unclear - with the FIA's Abu Dhabi investigation key to its resolution - Sky Sports News has learned.

Hamilton lost the world championship to Max Verstappen in hugely controversial circumstances on the final lap of 2021's season-ending Abu Dhabi GP on December 12. Mercedes withdrew their appeal against the result after the FIA pledged an investigation into the events surrounding the Safety Car procedures.

That probe was announced on December 15 - could any delay to its findings impact whether Hamilton carries on to try to win an eighth world crown in the new season?

Sky Sports News' Craig Slater reported: "With 69 days to go until the first Grand Prix in Bahrain, it is still unclear whether Lewis Hamilton will be on the grid.

"In terms of Hamilton coming back to Formula 1, having the appetite to do so and getting over the 'disillusionment' that his team boss Toto Wolff said he felt after Abu Dhabi, the onus is on the FIA to deliver on the pledge they made before Christmas to investigate the happenings on that final lap and to come up with some findings.

"It is understood that Mercedes want to see something tangible. It's been put to me like this: the longer this drags on then the worse the Lewis Hamilton situation is, and that is from a senior source."

The 23-race 2022 campaign begins on March 18-20, with winter testing for the all-new generation of cars underway from February 23.

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/2...-2022-season-after-controversial-title-finale

 

[Itachi]

It was bound to happen. You don't disrespect the integrity of the game like this. My heart goes out to Hamilton who was cheated.

 

[MenInG]

Lewis Hamilton will not decide whether to return to Formula 1 this season until he sees the results of an inquiry into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Hamilton is "disillusioned" with F1, his Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has said, as a result of last year's title-deciding race.

Hamilton lost the championship to Red Bull's Max Verstappen after FIA race director Michael Masi did not apply the rules correctly in a late safety-car period.

Insiders say Hamilton has lost trust in the governing body as a result.

Mercedes declined to comment on the situation surrounding Hamilton's future when approached by BBC Sport.

The team and Hamilton are said to be aligned on the issue and waiting to see what action the FIA takes to address the matters raised by the Abu Dhabi race.

The FIA has launched an inquiry into the events at Yas Marina and is aware both of Hamilton's unhappiness and that it has a big task on its hands to win back the seven-time champion's confidence.

New president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has said he has contacted Hamilton since his election five days after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

"I don't think he's 100% ready to respond right now," Ben Sulayem said last week. "We don't blame him. I understand his position."

Some senior F1 insiders are concerned that the governing body has not fully grasped the threat to its credibility created by the final race of the season.

It has been a month since the Abu Dhabi race. But when asked about the timing of the inquiry's findings or what matters it will seek to address, the FIA said it was not yet ready to answer queries.

The FIA admitted in a statement last month that the events of Abu Dhabi were "tarnishing the image" of F1 but also said that it had "generated significant misunderstanding and reactions from F1 teams, drivers and fans".

Announcing the inquiry, the FIA said it would be done in time for "any identified meaningful feedback and conclusions to be made before the beginning of the 2022 season".

The first of two pre-season tests starts on 23 February, while the opening race is in Bahrain on 18-20 March.

The future of Masi is in doubt as a result of his handling of the race, which came at the end of a season in which there were repeated concerns among teams and drivers over the consistency of application of the rules.

One senior source told BBC Sport that Mercedes had dropped their appeal against the results of the race after agreeing a quid pro quo with the FIA.

This deal was said to be that Masi and FIA head of single-seater technical matters Nikolas Tombazis would no longer be in their positions for the 2022 season.

Mercedes deny that any such deal was reached, and insist that they dropped their appeal after receiving assurances only that the issue would be treated seriously and appropriate action would be taken by the FIA.

Wolff said last month that Mercedes would "hold the FIA to account".

He did not clarify how he intended to do that but said he had "confidence, trust and faith" that the teams and drivers could work with the governing body to create a "more robust decision-making process".

Several senior figures have told BBC Sport that they do not see how Masi can retain his position as race director, but some have cautioned that the FIA is in a difficult position because there is no obvious replacement.

What is Hamilton's contractual situation?

Hamilton signed a new two-year contract with Mercedes last year, which in theory will keep him at the team until at least the end of 2023.

Mercedes have recruited George Russell, one of the leading lights of the new generation of drivers, as the seven-time champion's team-mate in 2022.

The likeliest outcome is thought to be that the FIA will take significant action and that Hamilton will return in 2022.

But if Hamilton did decide to step away from F1, it is not immediately obvious who Mercedes would recruit to replace him.

Every major driver is under contract for the 2022 season and it is likely Mercedes would have to seek a deal to buy their chosen candidate out of his current commitments - as they did when they bought Valtteri Bottas out of Williams when Nico Rosberg retired after winning the 2016 world title.

What happened in Abu Dhabi to upset Hamilton?

Hamilton had dominated the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and was on course to win a record-breaking eighth world drivers' title when the safety car was sent out when Nicholas Latifi crashed his Williams with five laps to go.

Red Bull pitted Verstappen to fit fresh tyres in the hope the race would restart before the chequered flag, but Mercedes felt they could not do the same with Hamilton because it would have meant the Briton losing the lead with no certainty the race would restart.

Masi then failed to apply the rules correctly in two different ways.

Normal protocol is to allow either all the lapped cars dotted through the field to un-lap themselves so they do not interfere with racing on the restart, or leave all in place.

But Masi allowed only some of the lapped cars in between the leaders to un-lap themselves - sending the five cars between Hamilton and Verstappen through so they were not in the way, but leaving all the others in place, including the two cars between Verstappen and third-placed Carlos Sainz's Ferrari.

In addition, Masi ignored a rule that dictates that the race restarts at the end of the following lap after the lapped cars have been removed, and restarted it a lap early.

That lap was the last racing lap, and Verstappen used the extra grip of his fresh tyres to pass Hamilton, win the race and take his first world title.

An initial appeal by Mercedes against the results of the race was rejected by stewards that night. The team gave notice of their intention to appeal against that decision but withdrew that notice after three days of talks with the FIA.

Wolff has accused Masi of "a freestyle reading of the rules [that] left Lewis like a sitting duck", adding: "Robbing him in the last lap of the race is unacceptable."

But he has also said that there is a bigger problem for the FIA to solve than just finding a new race director.

"It's not only a decision to change the race director; the whole system of decision-making needs to be improved," Wolff said. "The race director is certainly under big pressure and some of that is due to our own faults."

One major change expected as a result of Abu Dhabi is for team principals to no longer be allowed to contact the race director during a grand prix.

Both Wolff and Red Bull's Christian Horner lobbied for actions that favoured their teams in the course of the race, as has become normal practice in recent seasons.

BBC

 

[Technics 1210]

Poor baby. If he really thinks is the all time great, stop crying, come back next season, and win the championship.

But no, instead he took the knee to be awarded a title by the establishment he has always criticised.

I rather he doesn’t come back and hope he loses sleep for an eternity over what happen in Abu Dhabi.

 

[Firebat]

FIA inquiry into Abu Dhabi GP and F1's 2021's controversial title finale underway ahead of 2022 season

The FIA expects to complete its review into F1's controversial title-deciding Abu Dhabi GP by early February at the latest.

Sky Sports has been told the formal investigative side of the inquiry began on Monday and the inquiry team will aim to interview all those involved in the controversy, including race director Michael Masi, stewards, drivers and team representatives.

Stewards submitted their report in the week after the race.

Peter Bayer, the FIA's secretary general of motor sport, is heading up the process.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who was elected FIA president on December 17, is taking a personal involvement in the review and dealing with it as a matter of urgency from the governing body's headquarters in Geneva.

F1's governing body has been in a transitional phase with Jean Todt's term as president ending just five days after the Abu Dhabi finale.

An FIA spokesperson said the investigation will be 'thorough, objective and transparent'. The governing body expects to complete the process in time for the next World Motor Sport Council meeting on February 3 at the latest.

The FIA committed to an "analysis and clarification exercise" three days after the Abu Dhabi finale following discussions with Mercedes.

Although Mercedes withdrew their intent to appeal against the race outcome, they remained hugely angered and dismayed about the handling of the Safety Car period by Masi after a chain of events which saw Lewis Hamilton lose the world title on the final lap to Max Verstappen.

As revealed by Sky Sports on Monday, seven-time champion Hamilton's future remains unclear ahead of the 2022 season.

The outcome of the FIA's review is understood to be key to its resolution.

Pre-season testing begins in Spain on February 23, with the season's first race in Bahrain on March 20.

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...al-title-finale-underway-ahead-of-2022-season

 

[MenInG]

Formula 1's governing body has outlined the process for an inquiry into last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton lost the championship to Red Bull's Max Verstappen after FIA race director Michael Masi did not apply the rules correctly in a late safety-car period.

The FIA is to hold separate meetings with the sporting directors from the Formula 1 teams and the drivers.

It will then present its findings to F1 bosses next month.

Final decisions will be announced on the eve of the new season.

'A deserved title decided by a questionable call'

The stakes for the inquiry are high, because it emerged this week that Hamilton will not decide whether to return to Formula 1 this season until he sees the results of the FIA's inquiry into the Abu Dhabi race.

Insiders say Hamilton has lost trust in the governing body as a result of the events of Abu Dhabi and the FIA needs to take substantive action to win back his confidence.

Last month, in the aftermath of the race, the FIA admitted the controversy was "tarnishing the image" of F1.

The inquiry - led by FIA secretary general for motorsport Peter Bayer, who was recently appointed the executive director of single-seaters - will have two key stages.

On January 19, the FIA's sporting advisory committee - essentially, the sporting directors of all the F1 teams as well as FIA representatives - will meet to discuss the use of the safety car.

In the days after that, there will be a "shared discussion with all F1 drivers".

An FIA statement added: "The outcome of the detailed analysis will be presented to the F1 Commission in February, and final decisions will be announced at the World Motor Sport Council in Bahrain on 18 March."

In addition, new FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has asked Bayer "for proposals to review and optimise the organisation of the FIA F1 structure for the 2022 season".

On the face of it, the timeline seems to put Hamilton in a difficult position, because he will need to make a decision on his future before the first pre-season test, which is on 23-25 February.

In reality, though, the FIA's intentions will become clear long before the planned date of the official announcement on 18 March, the first day of track action at the season-opening race in Bahrain.

"Hamilton will have an opportunity to discuss [the matter] with the people leading the process, because there will be a meeting with the drivers," an FIA spokesman said.

The direction of travel will begin to emerge by the time of the meeting of the F1 Commission, which comprises the teams, and representatives of the FIA and F1.

No date has been set for this as yet but the plan is for it to be held in early February.

And if there are changes to key officials, these will become obvious to F1 teams long before the start of the season.

Masi's position is under particular scrutiny.

Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff accused the Australian of a "freestyle reading of the rules" which he said "robbed" Hamilton of the championship. And many senior figures in F1 do not see how Masi can survive this inquiry.

The future of F1 single-seater head Nikolas Tombazis is also in question.

Wolff is said to be meeting Ben Sulayem on Friday for their first talks on the topic of the Abu Dhabi race.

BBC

 

[Firebat]

FIA planning new F1 race-management structure after Abu Dhabi controversy

Formula 1's governing body is planning a new race-management structure in an attempt to avoid a repeat of the problems at last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

There is widespread acceptance across the sport that race director Michael Masi failed to follow the rules correctly during a late safety-car period in the title-deciding race.

That resulted in Red Bull's Max Verstappen passing Lewis Hamilton on the final lap to beat the Mercedes driver to the title.

Governing body the FIA has been seeking the teams' views on the matter.

The inquiry launched after Abu Dhabi is still ongoing and no concrete conclusions have yet been reached.

But sources have told BBC Sport that the FIA's plans are to introduce a series of safeguards that will leave the race director freer to make decisions in a calmer environment.

Many insiders admit that Masi made a series of operational errors in the closing laps at Yas Marina that were contrary to the rules and accepted protocols - and there remain serious questions about his future in the role.

At the same time, it has been accepted that the Australian was left exposed, isolated and under too much pressure in the final laps of the race.

A support structure is being planned for the race director, insiders say.

This is likely to include a barrier between that role and the teams to avoid the direct lobbying to which Masi was subjected from the team bosses of both Mercedes and Red Bull in Abu Dhabi.

Revisions to the operations of the stewards - who are independent of the race director and decide on penalties for breaches of the rules - are also being considered.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/60160969

 

[MenInG]

Formula 1 could have a new race director in 2022 following the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the FIA's head of single-seaters says.

The sport's governing body is conducting a review into 2021's final race, when the safety car rules were not followed correctly by race director Michael Masi.

Peter Bayer, newly appointed as the FIA's head of F1, said: "Michael did a super job in many ways. We told him that.

"But also that there is a possibility there could be a new race director."

Bayer, who has long held the role of the FIA's secretary general for motorsport, is conducting the inquiry launched following the controversy of Abu Dhabi.

Masi failed to follow the rules in two different ways at Yas Marina - over the handling of lapped cars and over the timing of the restart of the race.

When the race was restarted for one final lap, Red Bull's Max Verstappen, on fresh tyres, passed long-time leader Lewis Hamilton, on used tyres, to beat the Mercedes driver to the title.

The result caused widespread uproar because Masi appeared to over-ride the rules with regard to the operation of the safety car, having come under pressure from the bosses of the two title-contending teams.

Hamilton is said to have lost faith with the FIA, and will not decide whether to return to F1 in 2022 until he sees the results of the FIA's inquiry.

The FIA is working on a new structure for race control, as BBC Sport reported on Thursday, and Bayer said this was likely to involve splitting the responsibilities Masi formerly held between a number of different people.

Bayer, speaking to the respected Austrian journalist Gerhard Kuntschick, said: "(We are looking at) dividing the various tasks of the race director, who is also sports director, safety and track delegate.

"That was simply too much. These roles are divided between several people. This reduces the burden on the race director."

Bayer confirmed that a revision of the safety-car rules was being considered, as well as a restructuring of race control.

He pointed out that in the US-based Nascar series, "if neutralisation is necessary in the last two laps of the race, the lap counting ends and the laps are added at the end of the safety car phase. This could cause a fuel problem in F1, which is why it is being looked at more closely.

"We also asked the teams if their requirement not to finish a race under safety car was still relevant, to which they all agreed."

And he said the FIA was considering setting up a "mission control" at its base in Geneva - similar to the remote strategy groups the F1 teams operate over race weekends - to support the race director.

He confirmed that the team bosses would no longer be able to talk directly to the race director.

"The team managers will still be able to - they have to be able to ask questions," Bayer said.

"We want to build in a buffer with an employee who accepts these requests.

"In the future, the race director will be able to concentrate on his task and will no longer be distracted."

Bayer underlined that he was only in a position to advise on changes. He would submit his plans to the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, he said. The two would agree a proposal, which would be submitted to the FIA World Council.

That will happen on 18 March, on the eve of the new season. However, although Bayer did not specify it in the interview, his plans will be presented to the teams at a meeting of the F1 Commission on 14 February.

If the F1 Commission - composed of the FIA, F1 and the teams - approves them, the World Council is a rubber-stamping process.

Lewis Hamilton (right) is still short of the eighth world title that would see him alone at the top of the all time standings
Mercedes protested against the result after the race in Abu Dhabi, but this was rejected by the stewards.

They gave notice of intention to appeal against that decision, but decided against it after three days of talks with the FIA, after receiving guarantees that the controversy would be taken seriously and action would be taken.

Bayer said that he believed the result of the world championship would not have been changed even had Mercedes gone through with their appeal process.

"Had the Mercedes protest gone to the Court of Appeal, after being rejected by the stewards, what would have happened?" Bayer said.

"I think the judges would have said: 'It's different in the regulations, he decided that way, so we could just void the result.'

"But even then - if it were cancelled - Max Verstappen would have been world champion (because he was ahead going into the race).

"The situation was far from perfect and that's why we're working on it. It's also about having respect for the race director.

"My job is to look ahead, how can we improve things?"

BBC

 

[MenInG]

Sir Lewis Hamilton has broken a near two-month silence by declaring he is "back" in his first social media post since the controversial Formula 1 title decider in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton lost the final race of the 2021 season - and consequentially the title - in an extraordinarily dramatic fashion, with the notorious conclusion seeing Red Bull's Max Verstappen emerge victorious.

Hamilton had led for almost all of the race and had been on course to win a record-breaking eighth world title, but he was overtaken on the final lap by Verstappen after a safety car came on the track to deal with a Nicholas Latifi crash just five laps from the end.

The Mercedes driver, who was denied a record eighth championship, gave one short interview in parc ferme after the race but other than that had been conspicuous by his silence - until Saturday night.

In his first update on social media in 56 days, Hamilton posted on Twitter and Instagram: "I've been gone. Now I'm back!"

The short but sweet post accompanied a picture of Hamilton smiling, seemingly at the Grand Canyon in the US.

Hamilton's sole public appearance since the Abu Dhabi GP came a few days after the crushing defeat, when he received his knighthood in Windsor.

Hamilton's social media return comes amid a crucial period for F1 and the seven-time champion's future.

While Mercedes opted against pursuing their Abu Dhabi appeal in December, an FIA inquiry has been ongoing into how the final race was handled and Sky Sports understands it is key to Hamilton's future.

Hamilton has two years remaining on his Mercedes contract and had previously voiced his excitement about the sport's new-for-2022 rules and cars, although is keeping a keen eye on what the FIA concludes.

The sport's governing body is due to discuss the findings at the next F1 Commission meeting on 14 February, and says it will be speaking to all the grid's drivers beforehand.

Mercedes are then launching their new car four days later, and say their drivers will be involved.

The FIA's inquiry, meanwhile, will be made public on 18 March, two days before the season-opening Bahrain GP.

SKY

 

[transparent opacity]

Formula 1: FIA aware of new Michael Masi title-decider radio messages

The FIA says it knows about radio messages from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that have raised fresh questions about last year's title-decider.

The messages seem to be further evidence of race director Michael Masi reacting to Red Bull's suggestions as to how to end a safety-car period.

And Masi echoes Red Bull's language in a response he gives to Mercedes.

A spokesman for Formula 1's governing body said: "We are aware of this and it is part of the investigation."

In the radio messages, Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley is heard advising Masi on how to deal with lapped cars that are on track between the leaders as he attempts to organise a restart before the laps run out.

At the time, Red Bull's Max Verstappen was on new tyres behind Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton on old rubber, which meant that if the race was resumed Verstappen would have a huge advantage and would likely win the race and championship.

Wheatley says: "Those lapped cars; you don't need to let them go right the way around and catch up with the back of the pack. You only need to let them go, and then we've got a motor race on our hands."

Masi replies: "Understood."

After the race, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff gets on the radio to tell Masi that what he has done is "not right".

Masi replies: "Toto, it's called a motor race, OK?"

The radio transmissions are not new - they were on a video released by Formula 1 on 16 December, four days after the race - but the one from Wheatley appears to have missed general circulation in the storm that followed.

Their emergence into the public arena - they were trending on Twitter on Wednesday with the hashtag #F1xed - has come days before the FIA is due to reveal the outcome of its inquiry into Abu Dhabi to a meeting of the F1 Commission next Monday.

And it fits an impression of Masi acting in Red Bull's favour during the race and against Mercedes' interests.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner had previously said to Masi: "Why aren't we getting these lapped cars out of the way? You only need one racing lap."

It is widely acknowledged within F1 that Masi failed to follow the rules correctly in Abu Dhabi, and that in doing so he had a direct effect on the outcome of the world championship.

The FIA inquiry was set up to analyse how the mistakes at Abu Dhabi were made, and to put in place protocols to try to prevent them happening again.

The FIA has access to all team radio from Abu Dhabi for the inquiry they are conducting into the race.

And the outcome could have significant consequences - Hamilton, who lost the championship in the controversial ending of the race, will not decide whether to return to F1 this year until he has seen the results of the FIA inquiry.

What happened in Abu Dhabi?
Hamilton had led the race from the start until a safety car period with five laps to go.

Masi then failed to follow the rules correctly in at least two ways - to do with lapped cars and the timing of the restart.

Masi's position and actions are at the centre of the FIA inquiry, with many F1 insiders believing his position is untenable following his errors in Abu Dhabi - and further controversies at previous races.

FIA head of single seaters Peter Bayer, who is leading the inquiry, has hinted that Masi will not remain as race director in 2022.

When the race was restarted, Hamilton - on old tyres - was passed by title rival Max Verstappen's Red Bull - on fresh ones - and the championship changed hands.

The race director has discretion as to whether lapped cars are let through to unlap themselves - but the rules state that "any cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car".

Masi ordered only the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to overtake but left any between the rest of the top six where they were.

In addition to that, the rules dictate that once the lapped cars are let through, the racing will start "at the end of the following lap", whereas Masi restarted the race immediately.

Mercedes appealed against the result of the race in Abu Dhabi, but the stewards rejected their appeal on the grounds that a subsequent article in the rules states that once the message "safety car in this lap" has been displayed, the race director is obligated to start the race at the start of the next lap.

But many senior figures accept that the two articles in question - 48.12 and 48.13 of the sporting regulations - are intended to work in tandem. In other words, the lapped cars are to be let through, and the message about the safety car coming in displayed during the following lap - not that one supersedes the other, as the stewards argued.

It is believed Masi took the decisions he did because he was trying to accede to an agreement made with the teams that races should not finish under the safety car if at all possible.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/60318052

 

[MenInG]

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has accused rivals Mercedes of "bullying" behaviour resulting in the exit of race director Michael Masi.

Horner has questioned the FIA's removal of Masi in the wake of the controversy over last year's title decider.

"Was it right to fire him based on pressure that was placed on him from a rival team? That for me was wrong," Horner said.

"That's tantamount to bullying. It's passively aggressive."

Horner's remarks, made in an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, are a reference to Mercedes, whose driver Lewis Hamilton refused to commit to coming back to Formula 1 this season until he had seen the results of the FIA's inquiry into the race in Abu Dhabi.

Mercedes have declined to comment.

Hamilton was beaten to the drivers' title by Red Bull's Max Verstappen after a safety-car period late in the season's final race in Abu Dhabi.

Masi has been offered a new role at the FIA - the sport's governing body - and replaced as race director by two people who will alternate in the job, with a new support structure put in place to lessen the pressure on the role.

In a wide-ranging interview, Horner also discussed:

On Masi, Horner added: "Yes, Michael did make mistakes and it was frustrating, but you have to look at the role that he was in and the tools that he had at his disposal.

"You can't just place the blame on Michael. It's unfair to do that."

Horner has drawn some criticism from within F1 for talking about the need to be concerned for Masi's mental health, given the amount of blame he and Red Bull levelled at officials in the course of 2021.

But he said he had spoken out because he felt it was unacceptable the way Masi had been treated, both by fans threatening him on social media, and by the FIA, which Horner believes did not give its race director enough support.

"We were on the receiving end of many of Michael's errors," Horner said. "But he is in a high-pressure role in a high-pressure sport.

"But what it is unforgivable is the trolling, the abuse online, the death threats that he and his family had. That absolutely cannot be condoned in any way.

"That has nothing to do with the sport. It's just out-and-out bullying and I would not accept that in any way within our organisation.

"That's why I spoke up for Michael because I felt that he had not had any support. He had not had any backing. That he'd been hung out to dry and that there was this a concerted campaign that was very passive-aggressively focused against him.

"I will always stand up for someone who is being bullied. Bullying is not acceptable."

On Abu Dhabi

Many senior figures within F1 accept that Masi failed to administer the rules correctly in Abu Dhabi in two different ways during a late safety-car period - in only letting some, rather than all, of the lapped cars out of the way of the leaders, and in the timing of the restart.

Hamilton had dominated the race and was on course to win an eighth world title. But the sequence of events at the end left him a sitting duck on old tyres, and on the single racing lap after the restart, Verstappen passed the Mercedes to win his first world title.

The FIA has effectively acknowledged mistakes were made, in both the decisions it has taken, and in remarks by executive director of single-seaters Peter Bayer on the race.

But Horner said: "I don't believe the rules were not followed correctly. I think that they were applied perhaps differently to how they had been before by not allowing every single car to unlap."

He added that "if [the stewards] felt the rules were not applied correctly, they wouldn't have declared the result" following Mercedes' post-race appeal.

Red Bull have been criticised for the way they pressured Masi in Abu Dhabi.

As Masi deliberated on what to do, Horner told him: "You only need one racing lap."

Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley also pressured Masi, who then echoed Wheatley's choice of words back to Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff when the Austrian complained about the way the race had been handled.

But Horner said he believed Red Bull had applied less pressure on Masi than Mercedes had in the race.

"You've got to report the facts," Horner said. "Who was the first to call Michael? It wasn't me. I'm only responding to the pressure being applied on him that I can hear in my ear from a rival team. It's my job as the principal of the team that I represent to defend it.

"I think it was probably less than the pressure that our rivals were pushing on to not have a safety car. Or to back-track a lap. Or not to have a virtual safety car, or for the virtual safety car to go into a full safety car."

And he said Masi's decision to let only some lapped cars through had made no difference to the result.

"Looking at that incident, it wasn't a big crash and the driver was not injured," Horner said. "The car was near an exit [in the barriers] and it always looked the likelihood that would be cleared up, and there would have been no problem releasing all seven cars rather than just five.

"If they'd have released all seven them, would you have had a problem with it?

"It would make no difference to the outcome of the championship if they'd got all seven out of the way. The only mistake you could argue he made was not releasing the back two cars, that he could've done easily, but it had no material effect on the race."

Horner is one of several figures in F1 to admit that Masi was trying to follow guidance directing him to do his best to avoid races ending under a safety-car period.

In concert with the success of the fly-on-the-wall Netflix documentary series Drive To Survive, this has led to accusations that the sport has allowed entertainment to take priority over sporting integrity.

Horner said: "It would have been the worst possible finish to what had been a magnificent season. When you look at the intensity of it, for it to end under a safety car after a lame accident would have been shocking."

When it was pointed out to him that the FIA had said the image of F1 had been "tarnished" by the controversy, Horner said: "Yeah, but the production director of Netflix was not sitting next to Michael Masi when he was making that decision."

And asked whether the sport had allowed itself to lose sight of its priorities, Horner said: "F1 is still a sport, but sport is an entertainment. And one could also argue that there have been more people talking about Formula 1 in the past two and a half months when, traditionally, it would have been in hibernation.

"The viewing figures have never been bigger. Every promoter is sold out. Silverstone are trying to accommodate more seats and grandstand places. There's never been more competition to host a Grand Prix. So, um, is it all that bad?"

Verstappen drove an outstanding season in 2021, and it is widely acknowledged that he and Hamilton staged one of the all-time great title battles.

But the Dutchman's aggressive racing tactics have drawn criticism, particularly his tendency to force rivals off the track in wheel-to-wheel battles.

Has Horner ever sat Verstappen down and advised him that he should consider driving less aggressively?

"We talk about any incident," Horner said, "but it's always going to be between me and him.

"Max is a forceful driver. He's an aggressive driver. And that driving style is why he was voted the most popular driver in Formula 1 [in a survey of motorsport fans conducted by the sport]. You just know he is going to give 110%."

Does Horner want him to carry on the way he is driving?

"Absolutely."

In all the moves in question?

"Well, no, you're you're always going to learn, aren't you? And I think the way he drove last year, he showed tremendous maturity - and let's not forget the others make mistakes.

"There are other drivers that make aggressive actions as well, you know. But, yeah, Max is an aggressive driver. That's his DNA; that's who he is. Yes, he will always be close to the limit and he will only learn from his experiences. I've got no doubt about that."

On Verstappen's new contract
Verstappen last week signed a contract extension with Red Bull that commits him to the team until 2028.

Horner said negotiations were "straightforward" and that the deal "shows real intent from both sides".

Verstappen's decision shows great faith in Red Bull in the context of the withdrawal of their engine partner Honda at the end of last season; with no insight into how the power units will compare this year, following the beginning of an engine development freeze; and with a new engine formula due for 2026.

Horner said: "It shows the confidence he has in us. Seeing the commitment and the investment of the group and the activities going within the group, I think that it made an awful lot of sense. There's pressure on us to deliver. But that's normal in this business."

On Red Bull blocking sprint races
Last year, F1 staged three 'sprint' events, which used a short race on Saturday in place of qualifying to set the grid for the main grand prix.

The sport had wanted to double the number this year, and presented data to the teams that showed the sprints increased audiences and revenue.

But Red Bull were one of the big teams who blocked moves to increase the number of sprints.

Arguing that the budget cap was being reduced by $5m this year, and that more races meant more costs, they demanded more money than a simple pro-rata increase of the compensation payments that were made last year.

In the end, a compromise was reached to hold only three sprint events.

"Financially it makes zero sense to agree to any sprint races," Horner said, "but in the interests of the sport, we conceded to agree to three. We're not even being permitted the increase of inflation.

"When you're seeing gas and electricity bills, the amount of inflation that is going on at the moment... when the budget cap was set, it was set at a limit in the midst of the coronavirus crisis that in many respects is irrelevant to what's going on in the modern world. So that is why it was limited to three races."

BBC

 

[MenInG]

Former race director Michael Masi says he received death threats following the controversy that saw Max Verstappen claim his debut world title last year.

The 44-year-old failed to apply the regulations correctly in a safety-car period at the end of December's final Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi.

It led to the Dutchman, 24, passing Britain's Lewis Hamilton when the race was restarted for one final lap.

Mercedes' Hamilton, 37, had been on course to win an eighth world title.

"There were some dark days," Australian Masi told News Corp.

"Absolutely, I felt like I was the most hated man in the world. I got death threats. People saying they were going to come after me and my family."

An inquiry by motorsport's governing body, the FIA, found "human error" was responsible for the incorrect application of the rules in the 2021 title decider.

A first world championship victory for Verstappen denied Hamilton a record eighth title.

"They were shocking," Masi, who formally left the FIA earlier this month, said of messages he received on Facebook. "Racist, abusive, vile, they called me every name under the sun.

"And they kept on coming. Not just on my Facebook but also on my LinkedIn, which is supposed to be a professional platform for business. It was the same type of abuse."

Masi says he just "wanted to be alone" as he tried to deal with the aftermath.

"I didn't want to talk to anyone," he said.

"Not even family and friends. I only talked to my close family - but very briefly.

"It did have a physical impact, but it was more mental. I just wanted to be in a bubble. I had no desire to talk to them. I just wanted to be alone, which was very challenging.

"The whole experience has made me a much stronger person."

BBC

 

[MenInG]

Lewis Hamilton has given a new insight into his controversial 2021 Formula 1 title defeat to Max Verstappen, and indicated he will stick around to rectify things.

Hamilton had a record-breaking eighth world title taken from him on the final lap of the season last year as his Dutch rival secured a jaw-dropping last gasp lunge.

The Brit was cruising to victory and the championship with a 13 second lead before a late crash provoked a series of unprecedented safety car calls, allowing Verstappen to pass.

Mercedes protested the decisions in the aftermath, while Hamilton disappeared from the public eye, and now in an interview with Vanity Fair, he has detailed exactly how the cruel defeat felt.

“You see things start to unfold, and my worst fears came alive,” he said. “I was like, there’s no way they’re going to cheat me out of this. There’s no way. That won’t happen. Surely not.

“I don’t know if I can really put into words the feeling that I had.

“I do remember just sitting there just in disbelief. And realising I’ve got to undo my belts, I’ve got to get out of there, I’ve got to climb out of this thing, I’ve got to find the strength.

“I had no strength. And it was one of the toughest moments, I would say, that I’ve had in a long, long time.

“I knew what had happened. I knew what decisions had been made and why. Yes, I knew that something wasn’t right.”

Race director Michael Masi was later removed from his post for his application of the rules, with a report into the 2021 final declaring there was ‘human error’ but he ‘acted in good faith’.

Hamilton, though, went missing, disappearing from social media and wasn’t spotted in the public eye again after returning to his motorhome and leaving the Abu Dhabi track.

Retirement rumours were rife before the 37-year-old re-emerged at the team’s launch of their 2022 W13 contender, and he’s now acknowledged he did think about leaving F1.

“I, for sure, considered whether I wanted to continue,” he admitted.

Instead though, a revitalised Hamilton returned, and despite an intriguing and fresh challenge from his new young superstar teammate George Russell, the elder statesman has begun to show he’s still one of the best in recent Grand Prix.

However, Mercedes have struggled to contend with the pace of championship leaders Red Bull and Ferrari due to drastic aerodynamic regulations for the new season, as good as ending Hamilton’s hopes of an instant fightback against Verstappen.

The seven-time champion described Mercedes’ bouncing issues as, ‘The worst characteristic I’ve ever experienced in a car,’ but the Brackley-based team now seem to be coming to terms with their issues.

Last time out in Hungary Hamilton showed enough pace to win his first race of the season had it not been for a DRS issue during qualifying, and there’s hope the team will continue to improve after the summer break.

Should Mercedes catch up with Red Bull and Ferrari for the second half of the season, it will almost certainly be too little too late for a title charge, meaning Hamilton will have to wait until next year to attempt to move one clear of Michael Schumacher on a record eight world titles.

Hamilton’s current contract with Mercedes expires at the end of 2023 which suggests to some that next year will be a final shot for the 37-year-old, but as he sensationally revealed, that isn’t the case.

“I’ll be lying if I said that I hadn’t thought about extending,” he said.

“I’m still on the mission, I’m still loving driving, I’m still being challenged by it. So I don’t really feel like I have to give it up anytime soon.”

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