Formula 1 Round 22 Abu Dhabi GP

Yup... underwhelming allright....

The safety car was on the lap Latifi crashed. They didn't choose what lap he'd crash on.

If a single car is stopped on track where it can't quickly be recovered and there isn't a massive amount of debris or other reason to completely stop the race, you bring a safety car out. This is completely normal and it would be unprecedented to not do this.

Backmarkers are allowed to unlap themselves when there is a safety car. This is completely normal since the rule was introduced a few years and it would be unprecedented to not do this.

Once the accident is cleared, the safety car goes back in and the race resumes. This is also completely normal. Traditionally, when it is close to the end of the race, the race director always prioritises getting the race going again as soon as the incident is clear so that the race can finish under green flags, sometimes meaning they have to compress things a little bit and get racing again, in this case before all of the backmarkers were cleared. This isn't completely out of the ordinary and the rules are clear about the race director having the authority to call in the safety car whenever they deem it safe, regardless of where the backmarkers happen to be.

Nothing untoward happened behind the safety car, Red Bull were lucky but it's a standard part of F1 and they made the most of it. Mercedes could have changed tyres but chose not to and to focus their efforts on trying to lobby the race director not to let the race restart instead - they've had much success lobbying the race director previously, who even asked Verstappen to give up a position at the last race despite admitting he hadn't even looked at the incident - but in this case normal procedures were followed rather than succumbing to Toto's pressure. The only thing that the FIA did wrong was the terrible communication.

You’re right that we’ll never know. However, judging by the deltas from the last lap the FIA determined that in a utopian world that Max would have won.

This data was available to them and was part of their explanation and reasoning for dropping the appeal. You can see proof of it in the letter published by Merc on their official Twitter after the meeting.

Controversial? Yes. More controversial than the Schumacher/Hill collision? No. These people saying that this kind of controversy will stop them from tuning in to future races haven’t been following very long it seems.

that happened before with benneton.........they were found out though.

He was complaining about that too completely ignoring how he lucked out at Imola and Silverstone

So did Masi make Latifi crash too?

Can we all stop saying this? It makes it sound like Max did something truly miraculous.

Red Bull was better up until Silverstone. Mercedes was better after that.

Max deserves the title, but they each had turns at having the slightly better equipment.

I think it is fair to say both have had decisions go for and against them over the season and that is racing. It will take someone better than me to try and work out has it balanced out - which is what everyone says happens, on the face of it I'd say it did.

I'm not best qualified as I can't describe myself as a neutral, I wanted Max to win.

It is annoying me on BBC Breakfast this morning, the narrative that they are pushing - basically that it was a farce and that Lewis was robbed. At least they had Eddie Jordan on who reminded them of the first lap incident. The main thing I took from his interview though was that he says "Safe-i-dee Car"

Agreed. Doesn’t at all seem like sport.

Maybe they should change rules where leading car maintains say 50 percent of his advantage..

Awful lot of armchair critics slating the race director. It is an extremely tough job, as well as a very dynamic and complex job.

shoulda done this, that, the other. What about this rule, that rule, his rule, their rule blah blah blah..

it is not an exact science, and you can bet no matter what the stewards and race director decide, they will still be slated by armchair critics.

The rules around safety cars are pretty straightforward but he didn't follow them. So now we end up in this mess with an appeal hanging over the result.

Is there anything in the rules to get the race result changed though? I don't think Mercedes really think they can win this one but what they can do is make sure someone is accountable and come next season then everyone knows what the rules are.

I'm neither a fan a massive of Verstappen or Hamilton. Both drivers have matured a lot, Verstappen has toned down the dangerous lunging (I know some wont agree) and Hamilton has learned to accept defeat somewhat overall he was gracious and while gutted congratulated Max.

Horner and toto are both dicks for the most part when things don't go there where and both are insufferable , but like a few have said I've felt Toto's anger outbursts are bad optics for the sport in general and need to be dealt with they are all too regular this year.

Enjoyed that race and think the right Driver won the championship this season eventually like him or loath him he was the best driver this year. Hamiliton showed that he had a lot of pace left in his tires but max positioned himself well to cover lewis once he got passed.

I do think they should clarify in the rules that where possible(unless serious safety concern) a race should not finish on a safety car and could be extended a lap or 2 to cover this.

This year has highlighted a few things that where probably left alone for far too long and need to be addressed going forward.

track limits -- are getting abused by all more and more ,either gravel traps or some speed restriction software to come into affect once so far off track.

race end-- race shouldnt end on a safetly car unless for serious safety concerns.

on track racing , not everything has to result in a penalty

Thought as much myself! Not Hamiltons biggest fan but it would have been easy for him to storm off and refuse interviews etc but he didn't and like you say was gracious in defeat.

Toto definitely has come out the end of this in a bit of a negative light for me especially after getting on the blower to Masi to not give a safety car when there was a vsc for giovanazzi I think was parked up? Really unsporting to be trying to coerce decisions from officials.

After sleeping on all this they really should have just red flagged the session when latifi binned it, it was always gonna be a majorly tight call to get the race restarted under safety car. That would have pacified everyone I think.