The stewards have provided an explanation for their decision to REJECT Mercedes’ two appeals to change the result of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Mercedes were not happy with two things in wake of the race. First of all, the race director making rules up on the spot as we came to the final lap, cherry-picking which drivers were allowed to overtake the safety car and which were not.
Secondly, Max Verstappen appeared to overtake Lewis Hamilton by a few centimetres while safety car rules were in force, which on another day could have resulted in the Red Bull driver being given a five-second penalty.
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The FIA were clearly unwilling to retrospectively change the result of the race and subsequently the World Championship, however, and thus rejected both of Mercedes counts of appeal, providing the following explanation.
Stewards decision is explained here. @MercedesAMGF1 protest is dismissed. #skyf1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/zEYSd9Z5y3
— Rachel Brookes (@RachelBrookesTV) December 12, 2021
Essentially, the FIA are saying that Michael Masi IS allowed to make rules up on the spot and that his judgement is final. In truth, a self-governing authority was always going to come to that conclusion, wasn’t it?
Lewis Hamilton must be absolutely devastated to have had all of his good work throughout the course of the race undone by the stewards and the stewards alone. We get the feeling we haven’t heard the last of this…
