2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina, Dec 10 - 12

[JordanMugen]

https://www.racefans.net/2021/12/12/nor ... as-for-tv/

Lando Norris says the decision by FIA race director Michael Masi to allow only a limited number of drivers to unlap themselves behind the safety car late in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was “for the TV” spectacle.

Of course it was. This is the same Masi who leaves a car on the side of the road covered by double waved yellows at the top of Mount Panorama when there is 2 laps to go in the Bathurst 1000, when at all other times of the race the car would be retrieved on a flatbed truck under a safety car. What else did you expect?!

Was Sainz not one of the leaders? Why was he not behind Max but behind Ric (lapped car)?
Ferrari should protest too. Sainz could have won this. If he applied a bit of pressure on Max, maybe Max crash into Hamilton so Sainz wins.

Similarly there have been plenty of occasions where the 3rd or 4th place car is stuck behind lapped traffic at a Bathust 1000 safety car restart!

[Starkblood80]

Great decision by the FIA. Max fully deserved the win, and Toto is a sore loser.

Yeah how dare he be upset at losing a championship because someone decided to change the rules half a lap before the end.

[TimW]

There are always two sides of a coin folks, this time it went verstappens way , next year lewis might come out on top in a similar toss. It's a sport, there are rules and interpretations, rigidity of rules might help in this instance and screw you over next time. So many arguable moments this year, let's call it a day and have a similar one next year. At least we won't lose Lewis due to too much success, I had a funny feeling he might have retired as octogod.

Well said!

[cooken]

" The Race Director stated that the purpose of Article 48.12 was to remove those lapped cars that
would “interfere” in the racing between the leaders and that in his view Article 48.13 was the one
that applied in this case."

Was Sainz not one of the leaders? Why was he not behind Max but behind Ric (lapped car)?
Ferrari should protest too. Sainz could have won this. If he applied a bit of pressure on Max, maybe Max crash into Hamilton so Sainz wins.

Or Sainz crashes into Max....this is why the final result is totally contrived and hollow. It was completely manipulated in Max' favour.

[littlebigcat]

Its too late to appeal and it wouldn't have benefitted Ferrari anyway. But again it makes a mockery of the concept of fair racing.

[GrizzleBoy]

Nothing against Max, but I don't see how his fans are accepting to win like this. In fact I don't even see how Horner wants to win this way either.

There was a safety car, Red Bull pitted for fresh soft tyres, Mercedes didn't, Verstappen overtook Hamilton track. What's the problem?

Because the rules of the sport that all the teams race to, says that X, Y and Z will happen if there is a safety car.

And if teams know this, they are able to make decisions as to what will happen and what they should do.

Merc decided that under the rules that exist, this race would likely finish under an SC, meaning that if they pitted, the race would finish under SC and max would win.

And as it turned out, under the rules that exist, the race would have finished under an SC.

The problem then, is that the rule book that Merc created their strategy with was thrown out on lap 57, and in such an abrupt and erratic manner that made it IMPOSSIBLE for them to have any defence unless they had a computer linked to Masi's brain.

Merc and every other team expected that as per usual in every race, X, Y ,Z would happen. However out of nowehere, it was decided that A, B, C and maybe even a bit of E=MC2 would happen, which nobody to this point can explain why beyond "because Masi can do what he wants".

You cant plan an effective strategy when the race director can just change the way the racing happens at the drop of a hat.

Maybe you don't realise it, but what you're actually saying is that Merc should have included the race director making up new rules to screw them over on the last lap in their pit stop strategy and that it's their fault for not acting accordingly.

That's the problem with this and why fans of all sides feel like it stinks.

[JordanMugen]

Or Sainz crashes into Max....this is why the final result is totally contrived and hollow. It was completely manipulated in Max' favour.

That notion is ridiculous. Verstappen still had to overtake Hamilton on the track. It's motor racing, there is luck and chance involved. Ideally, yes, all of the lapped cars would've been allowed to overtake, but at least *some* of the lapped cars being allowed to overtake is better than none being able to.

And as it turned out, under the rules that exist, the race would have finished under an SC.

Nobody wants the race to finish under SC instead of under a green flag!

Mercedes should have had every expectation for lapped cars to overtake and for a restart, and on this basis they chose not to pit for fresh soft tyres which is their choice.

[nokivasara]

Congratulations to RebBull and Max, they have been on it for most of the year. Nice to see close battles at the front.

There just had to be one more controversy, why not just red flag and clear Latifis car and do a restart with 4-5 laps to go?
Seems like Masi and company has been utterly incompetent all year, only good thing is that the bad decisions have affected both top teams pretty equally throughout the year.

For 2022 I hope that something is done to the stewards way of handling incidents. I also hope that Wolff and Horner grows up during the winter, both of them are like 12 year olds during the races.

[wogx]

Christian Horner promised Williams driver Nicholas Latifi a lifetime supply of Red Bull after his crash ultimately led to Max Verstappen winning the Formula One world championship with victory in Abu Dhabi.

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/mot ... 74623.html

[KeiKo403]

The reasoning of “not wanting to interfere with the race” being given for only letting 5 of the lapped cars unlap may well be the undoing of the FIA in this matter if it indeed goes to court.

It’s suggesting the race director made a conscious decision to let Verstappen get right behind Hamilton (knowing about differing tyre compounds and tyre age, this information is available to him) while also not being bothered about Verstappen facing direct completion from behind for his spot.

The suggestion that this decision was made in the interests of racing and by extension sport is a blatant attempt of clutching at straw. It could also be viewed as interfering with the race result.

Doing nothing doesn’t interfere with the race result, what Masi did, did.

[kaller]

Nothing against Max, but I don't see how his fans are accepting to win like this. In fact I don't even see how Horner wants to win this way either.

There was a safety car, Red Bull pitted for fresh soft tyres, Mercedes didn't, Verstappen overtook Hamilton track. What's the problem?

Because the rules of the sport that all the teams race to, says that X, Y and Z will happen if there is a safety car.

And if teams know this, they are able to make decisions as to what will happen and what they should do.

Merc decided that under the rules that exist, this race would likely finish under an SC, meaning that if they pitted, the race would finish under SC and max would win.

And as it turned out, under the rules that exist, the race would have finished under an SC.

The problem then, is that the rule book that Merc created their strategy with was thrown out on lap 57, making it IMPOSSIBLE for them to have any defence.

Merc and every other team expected that as per usual in every race, X, Y ,Z would happen. However out of nowehere, it was decided that A, B, C and maybe even a bit of E=MC2 would happen, which nobody to this point can explain why beyond "because Masi can do what he wants".

You cant plan an effective strategy when the race director can just change the way the racing happens at the drop of a hat.

Maybe you don't realise it, but what you're actually saying is that Merc should have included the race director making up new rules to screw them over on the last lap in their pit stop strategy and that it's their fault for not acting accordingly.

That's the problem with this and why fans of all sides feel like it stinks.

To make it worse, Masi even stated the contrary in the beginning, that no cars will be passing the SC. Only after Horner screamed at him, he changed his mind in the last second when MB had no chance to react and was doomed to lose. If that ain't race manipulation I don't know what is.

[west52keep64]

How so? You want to see green flag racing to the flag without backmarkers in the way don't you?

As the stewards noted article 15.3 gives Race Director overriding authority in matters of starting procedure and safety car usage, and article 39.13 overrides article 39.12.

What about the back marker between Verstappen and Sainz though? (and possibly back markers between Sainz and Tsunoda) I think that might be Masi's undoing. I can see what he was trying to do, but he didn't do it correctly. The best thing would have been a red flag with a standing restart. 5 lap sprint, Hamiltion vs Verstappen.

[JordanMugen]

I also hope that Wolff and Horner grows up during the winter, both of them are like 12 year olds during the races.

Fortunately, McLaren and Ferrari will probably join the front runners next year, and Brown and Binotto are far more mature!

Maybe even Alpine up the front too, who knows, with their hot new power unit which Viry have been promising for years.

The best thing would have been a red flag with a standing restart. 5 lap sprint, Hamiltion vs Verstappen.

As Murray Walker said, F1 is 1F spelt backwards!

The result is what it is, I'm quite pleased with the result myself.

[Hoffman900]

“My decision is the best decision”

[jknights]

Anyways I won't waste more time on this sh*t show of a "sport", at least as long as Masi is running the clown circus

I tend to agree but I want to see the official documents from Stewards and FIA.
I feel the need, the need for... FIA about to be taken to the cleaners! Mercedes will probably go to the ICS and win. Settlement costs from FIA to Mercedes will be staggering if this happens.
Of course it will be too late to change stuff but it will tarnish the WDC for Verstappen which I think is a real shame.

Masi will get booted into the long grass.... His sideways promotion will be "to look at the advantages and disadvantages to driver safety of tarmac v. gravel traps". Couldnt happen to a nicer bloke. He is unfortunately completely out of his depth.