(Photos) Mercedes second appeal: Did Verstappen overtake during safety car? All angles revealed

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Mercedes have made a SECOND protest to the FIA in wake of the dramatic Formula 1 season finale.

After some rather controversial split-second decision-making from the FIA gifted Max Verstappen his first world championship, you could imagine that Mercedes would not be best pleased.

Mercedes first contested the FIA’s decision to make rules up on the spot, with the changing of their mind before the safety car ended HUGELY benefiting Verstappen, with Lewis Hamilton driving on worn tyres for a 1-v-1 final lap shootout.

They have now argued that Verstappen overtook Hamilton during the safety car, which is of course not allowed and could result in a five-second penalty for the Dutchman if he is found guilty.

It’s marginal and Verstappen would be incredibly unlucky to lose his world championship based on a few centimetres, but if the FIA take the stance that rules are rules and he hasn’t followed them, could he really argue?

Verstappen was attempting to get as close to Hamilton as possible to apply pressure, it was gamesmanship, but was it legal? Thankfully, that’s not for us to decide – because the stakes are SO high.

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1 Comment

  1. As a circuit race marshal (post chief) I was always under the impression that an overtake has taken place when the rear of the overtaking car has passed the front of the car being overtaken, and if it had not then there was no overtake just running side by side, and that was allowed , with the F1 race car 33 had not passed car 44

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