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

[Just_a_fan]

Someone just pointed something out to me that was actually quite an interesting point.

Verstappen was given a clear run at Hamiltion as a result of Masi's decision to allow the lapped cars between car 33 and 44 to overtake the SC. Carlos Sainz was not given the same opportunity, I believe he still had lapped cars between himself and Verstappen.

I think that really just shows how badly Masi screwed this up. Ultimately, the result should stand, as I don't think any WDC should be decided in a court room. However, I do think Masi should be replaced. He has made too many errors this year, it's simply not good enough.

If it goes to court - and I don't think it will - that sort of detail would cause the FIA a lot of problems. If you're wanting to ensure the competitors race, it should be all of them including the guy in third. In effect, it's evidence that the outcome was effectively fixed, or that would be a strong argument, anyway. I don't think Masi fixed it, I think he just thought only about the final lap being a ding dong between the title contenders and forgot that there are a dozen other cars out there racing.

[Sawtooth-spike]

In a funny world, lets lewis gave max the place back on lap 1, and the race happened as it did, just with lewis stopping and not max.
Would any Max fans be happy with the lewis winning the way max did? No.
I am happy for Max, but as a F1 fan, The Fia have done some massive damage to the credibility of F1. I am really not sure i can be bothered to watch anymore
Final question, What ended better GOT of F1 2021?

[GrizzleBoy]

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.

It doesn't really matter what people want, because rules are rules.

Mercedes planned for what would happen based on the rules.

Again, you don't seem to realise what you're saying, because if ALL the lapped cars were allowed to overtake based on the rules, then there would have been no restart because it would have taken too long because the safety car would need to go around one more lap. That is the rule.

So like I said, Mercedes decision was based on the rules that exist, that every team understands and if the rules weren't changed at the last moment, they would have won the race.

The only reason they didn't win, is because one person who had the authority, discarded those rules and did so in a way which left Merc no ability to react to the new rules they had just made up out of nowhere.

So like I said before, your argument is basically becoming that its Merc's fault for expecting that the rules are the rules and that Masi wouldn't make new ones on the last lap.

Which is a bit silly, isn't it?

[LM10]

First of all, congratulations to Max. Considering the whole season he surely is a deserving champion.

This race left me speechless. I was lost for words immediately after and needed to rethink everything happened.

From a totally objective point of view the mess at the end was a scandal, to be honest. First the confirmation of no cars to pass, then the confirmation of only the cars between Lewis and Max to pass and right after that the fastest switch to green light after SC I’ve seen in F1.

I know it’s a hard job Masi has. Especially if you have two teams constantly trying to influence your thinking and acting, but all that would not happen if he and the stewards would go by rule book at all times.

I have no interest whatsoever. I don’t really care about the end result. Just saying my thoughts and hope that such things won’t happen next season.

[west52keep64]

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.

On that I totally agree. The result is the result. Max is the WDC and and has 100% earned that result.

I do think a couple of things need to happen though. Masi's position needs to be put under review. There needs to be a better way to deal with all the nonsense that's happened this year. We can't have races and championships being decided in court rooms, that's not what F1 is about.

TL;DR. Max is the WDC, Masi should be fired.

[proteus]

There are two points i would like to point out from today:

Well, we all are blaming Masi as the main culprit here, but we must take into an account that Liberty wants a show, since show generates money and we got one today. This finale will be discussed for a long time, since it is so controversal. Rules as such need a deep reconsideration and refurbishment. Also some simplifying would be in order as well.

Next thing is about team principals proposing their solutions and cause of actions. Both RedBull and Mercedes are in this case fully guilty of lobbying into their favour - especially as we saw today with Toto for example dictating how the Giovanazzi and Latifi incidents should be taken care of, which is completely unacceptable.

The whole thing will be decided in court and we shall see who will win.

[nokivasara]

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.

Fingers crossed

[f1jcw]

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

Bit stupid, could be classed as rigging. Best not to joke.

[west52keep64]

Someone just pointed something out to me that was actually quite an interesting point.

Verstappen was given a clear run at Hamiltion as a result of Masi's decision to allow the lapped cars between car 33 and 44 to overtake the SC. Carlos Sainz was not given the same opportunity, I believe he still had lapped cars between himself and Verstappen.

I think that really just shows how badly Masi screwed this up. Ultimately, the result should stand, as I don't think any WDC should be decided in a court room. However, I do think Masi should be replaced. He has made too many errors this year, it's simply not good enough.

If it goes to court - and I don't think it will - that sort of detail would cause the FIA a lot of problems. If you're wanting to ensure the competitors race, it should be all of them including the guy in third. In effect, it's evidence that the outcome was effectively fixed, or that would be a strong argument, anyway. I don't think Masi fixed it, I think he just thought only about the final lap being a ding dong between the title contenders and forgot that there are a dozen other cars out there racing.

Exactly that, and for that reason, he should be fired because he has failed to be a neutral and fair race director.

[Aesop]

Masi should have let the lapped cars unlap earlier. Same outcome, but no fuzz.

[Gillian]

Someone just pointed something out to me that was actually quite an interesting point.

Verstappen was given a clear run at Hamiltion as a result of Masi's decision to allow the lapped cars between car 33 and 44 to overtake the SC. Carlos Sainz was not given the same opportunity, I believe he still had lapped cars between himself and Verstappen.

I think that really just shows how badly Masi screwed this up. Ultimately, the result should stand, as I don't think any WDC should be decided in a court room. However, I do think Masi should be replaced. He has made too many errors this year, it's simply not good enough.

If it goes to court - and I don't think it will - that sort of detail would cause the FIA a lot of problems. If you're wanting to ensure the competitors race, it should be all of them including the guy in third. In effect, it's evidence that the outcome was effectively fixed, or that would be a strong argument, anyway. I don't think Masi fixed it, I think he just thought only about the final lap being a ding dong between the title contenders and forgot that there are a dozen other cars out there racing.

Entirely agree with your analysis. While I am personally happy with Verstappen winning WDC, the way this was handled was not correct. Just stick to the damn rules, how hard can it be.

[Starkblood80]

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.

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

No one would have guessed

[wogx]

IIRC, Max said that he will drive with #1 in 2022, if he wins this year

[Restomaniac]

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.

On that I totally agree. The result is the result. Max is the WDC and and has 100% earned that result.

I do think a couple of things need to happen though. Masi's position needs to be put under review. There needs to be a better way to deal with all the nonsense that's happened this year. We can't have races and championships being decided in court rooms, that's not what F1 is about.

TL;DR. Max is the WDC, Masi should be fired.

The logic that the ‘result is the result’ is not logical. By that ideal the best driver/car can be Intentionally penalised out of a race and you’re cool with it because we’re not allowed to question dodgy decisions?

Don’t want championships decided in courts? Don’t make dodgy decisions then……like today!

How in the blue hell has he 100% earned that result? He has just been gifted his championship win.

[pantherxxx]

It's unbelievable how some people think this win was gifted to Verstappen. I mean yeah he was lucky with the safety car and all, but Mercedes made a huge blunter by not pitting to fresh tyres. Mercedes had the better car, but Red Bull had Verstappen and the better strategy.