Was order to unlap legally within the regulations?
The regulation for the 2021 season can be found here https://www.fia.com/sites/default/fi...2020-12-16.pdf This version appears to be a draft version but the wording still holds. The final version can be downloaded from here
There are two areas where the decision of the Race Control would be called into question, namely; section 48.12 and section 48.13. I shall try to explain.
section 48.12 states:
48.12 If the clerk of the course considers it safe to do so, and the message "LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE" has been sent to all Competitors via the official messaging system, any cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car.
This will only apply to cars that were lapped at the time they crossed the Line at the end of the lap during which they crossed the first Safety Car line for the second time after the safety car was deployed.
Having overtaken the cars on the lead lap and the safety car these cars should then proceed around the track at an appropriate speed, without overtaking, and make every effort to take up position at the back of the line of cars behind the safety car. Whilst they are overtaking, and in order to ensure this may be carried out safely, the cars on the lead lap must always stay on the racing line unless deviating from it is unavoidable. Unless the clerk of the course considers the presence of the safety car is still necessary, once the last lapped car has passed the leader the safety car will return to the pits at the end of the following lap.
If the clerk of the course considers track conditions are unsuitable for overtaking the message "OVERTAKING WILL NOT BE PERMITTED" will be sent to all Competitors via the official messaging system.
And section 48.13 states :-
48.13 When the clerk of the course decides it is safe to call in the safety car the message "SAFETY CAR IN THIS LAP" will be sent to all Competitors via the official messaging system and the car's orange lights will be extinguished. This will be the signal to the Competitors and drivers that it will be entering the pit lane at the end of that lap.
At this point the first car in line behind the safety car may dictate the pace and, if necessary, fall more than ten car lengths behind it.
In order to avoid the likelihood of accidents before the safety car returns to the pits, from the point at which the lights on the car are turned out drivers must proceed at a pace which involves no erratic acceleration or braking nor any other manoeuvre which is likely to endanger other drivers or impede the restart.
As the safety car is approaching the pit entry the SC boards will be withdrawn and, other than on the last lap of the sprint qualifying session or the race, as the leader approaches the Line the yellow flags will be withdrawn and a green flag and/or green light panel will be displayed at the Line.
The Mercedes Case:-
1. The instructions by the Race Control for only the first five cars to overtake contravenes section 48.12. In particular the highlighted area above.
2. If the lap after the Safety Car has entered the pits is the last lap of the race, YELLOW FLAG condition continues to apply. The Yellow flag can only be withdrawn if it is not the last lap of the race. THIS IS INCORRECT. The highlighted part of section 48.13 only applies if the lap the safety car pulled into the pit was the actual last lap. Not the lap before the last lap. So no foul here.
There are suggestions by some that section 48.13 overrides section 48.12. This is very incorrect as well. There is direct or implicit wording that expressly changes the procedure in section 48.12 by 48.13. They each deal with very different contexts of things that should happen during the process of the safety car withdrawal. Most importantly, 48.13 only applies after the procedures of 48.12 has occurred. It would be fanciful to assume the rules that happen after overrides the rules that happen before. In simple terms, Race Control is required to follow 48.12 before the safety car is called in. 48.13 is what happens after the procedures of 48.12 has been completed.
So there are lots of people out there with microphones with very little idea of what they are talking about.
In bullet point one, this goes to evidence that Race Control manipulated the race to produce the outcome that transpired.
Masi is so incompetent he did not realize these simple rules in the regulations. I think he is toast.
There is a very good chance that Race Control's misapplication of the rules may result in Verstappen being stripped of the driver's title. Which would be very unfortunate if that happens.