2021 - Race 22 Abu Dhabi

[rsrocket1]

They need to do a green-white-checker finish.

Masi's next quote after "It's called a motor race - we went car racing.":

"Boys, have at it"

[Peakrp]

It’s a shame that the Race director effectively decided the world championship. After a whole season the championship was decided by Masi. Whatever he did would be controversial which makes it even more important that he sticks to the rules and previous protocol.

I have watched F1 for decades and have never ever seen an instance where they let a few lapped cars unlap themselves but not others. He changed the rules and previous protocol to put Verstappen in a place to win. F1 is so much governed by rules but it’s just a shame that they changed rules and precedent in this way.

It’s been a great season by two brilliant drivers and it’s such a shame it ended this way. Apart from the first lap, (which probably was the wrong decision too), Hamilton was fastest and totally dominated. Had Masi followed the rules, he would probably be world champion now.

[N. Jones]

This was a great season marred by some dangerous driving and very confusing FIA decisions.
To me, this season proves Masi is not good enough to be the race director.

[Nitrodaze]

Final decision in

That Article 15.3 allows the Race Director to control the use of the safety car, which in our determination includes its deployment and withdrawal.


The wording of 15.3 does not override 48.12 expressly. It certainly does not extend to altering the procedures around the deployment or withdrawal of the safety car. It only provides authority regarding power to deploy or withdraw the safety car. All procedures in 48.12 must still be complied with when he withdraws the safety car.

They are making the situation worst with the hope Mercedes would back off.

SECTION 15.3

15.3 The clerk of the course shall work in permanent consultation with the Race Director. The Race Director shall have overriding authority in the following matters and the clerk of the course may give orders in respect of them only with his express agreement:
a) The control of practice, sprint qualifying session and the race, adherence to the timetable
and, if he deems it necessary, the making of any proposal to the stewards to modify the timetable in accordance with the Code or Sporting Regulations.
b) The stopping of any car in accordance with the Code or Sporting Regulations.
c) The stopping of practice, suspension of a sprint qualifying session or suspension of the race in accordance with the Sporting Regulations if he deems it unsafe to continue and ensuring that the correct restart procedure is carried out.
d) The starting procedure.
e) The use of the safety car.

[denkimi]

Who would have thought that the stewards would decide that the stewards did the wrong thing. 😛

[airshifter]

Well.... that didn't turn out as many of us expected... round II

Crap start by Max and a good start by Lewis. I was surprised Max got a run that easily without DRS but overcooked it and pushed Lewis wide. I do think Lewis still gained advantage, but I don't think it would have mattered as he had the pace.

From there it looked like a potential borefest, and with Merc covering RB in the pits not much could be done about it. Perez did a fantastic job as the #2 trying to hold up Lewis, and those two on track were probably the best racing of the day really. I expected that if Max did lead the start we might have seen that action from Max and Lewis as well.... it just didn't happen.

As it turns out, the real luck of RB today was that of chance. By being in the second position they could roll the dice and try to gain advantage during the VSC and safety car. And in the end it worked with that final one lap dash and Max having the advantage of fresh tires. Merc really didn't have a choice, as pitting in either situation would have given up track position and RB would just do what they didn't. This scenario has played out for both teams this year, and proves that leading the race isn't always as forgiving on strategy calls.... you're damned if you do, damned if you don't.... it just depends on the outcome. As for all the appeals and such, I don't think they will go anywhere at all. Article 48.8 of the sporting regs allows calls signaled to go through to do so. That's what happened, and it seems to me to be quite legal.

All the finger pointing as Merc for bad strategy or Masi for illegal crap is just that IMHO... crap. Lewis did everything right today, but today the fortune shined on RB more than Merc. It has swung both ways through the season. Masi is in a position that will make people unhappy regardless of what he does. That's part of his job, and having vague and changing regs and expectations for enforcement doesn't make it any easier. Personally I think the communications with both Toto and Horner are out of hand. He should be worried about the race and safety, not listening to the whining children.

As far as Lewis himself, though obviously gutted, he did the right thing. He congratulated Max and took it like a man. Not as much can be said for Toto and his fits, or it appears a lot of fans either. Fortune and misfortune have been a part of motor racing for years, and I suspect the conspiracy theories and finger pointing will continue as long as simple luck plays a part. I'm not invested enough to lose sleep about it either way. Today Lewis and Merc did everything right, and Max became the WDC.



I'm not going to say this might have been obvious yesterday....but......

At this point I think Merc and Lewis have the upper hand most likely. But that could easily sway in towards Max and RB with safety car issues, and they might have the outright pace to make it work. But either way, it's been a great year to watch the fight at the front.

Good to see Sainz on the podium, shame it went south so quick for Leclerc. That off twitch he had was scary, but he collected it up really fast. The AT cars ended up 4th and 5th, and had some real pace at times. Bottas was Bottas. He had a comment quoted that nobody on the team talked to him after the race, so he went and jumped into the pool. Though his race wasn't up to Perez's performance today he bested him by 36 points through the season. Max and Lewis proved the cars are very close in performance in their hands, so really Valtteri did his job well this year. And that's if we don't even count all the points he gained the team in Hungary.

Kimi driver of the day. A nice gesture, it sucked to see him go out like that.



I hope the new cars bring things tighter throughout the field. If 6 or 8 cars were fighting for the front all the time, it would make for some great racing.

[Fortitude]

Red Bull "miracle" prayers answered by the "racing gods" with Verstappen crown
Sam Hall
Monday 13 December 2021 07:00

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has 'thanked the racing gods' for delivering the "miracle" Max Verstappen needed to clinch the F1 world championship title.

With 10 laps to go in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Horner told Sky Sports F1: "The pace of the Mercedes is just too strong.

"Max is driving his heart out out there but we're going to need a miracle in these last 10 laps to turn it around."

When Nicholas Latifi crashed his Williams at turn 14 with five laps to go, however, Horner's prayers were answered with the resulting safety car allowing Verstappen time to pit for soft tyres and close to Hamilton's gearbox after the traffic was waved past.

“I think I said we needed something from the racing gods and they answered so thank you to them and we’re just incredibly proud of Max," said Horner.

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/73...stappen-crown/


Lucky title for Verstappen is ‘justice’ – Alonso
ANDREW MAITLAND
DECEMBER 13, 2021

Dr Helmut Marko admits seeing Max Verstappen become world champion on Sunday provoked “much more intense” emotions even than Red Bull’s first ever title with Sebastian Vettel.

“This goes much further than that. The emotions are much more intense,” the top team official confirmed to Sky Deutschland.

“The release that came after that last lap is really unparalleled.”

Indeed, the 78-year-old Austrian admits he not only had accepted defeat to Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton prior to the last lap, but even before he travelled to Abu Dhabi.

“Yes, I thought it was over, if I’m honest,” Marko said.

“Mercedes simply had the best car at the end of the season.”

It will go down in history as one of the most emotional and controversial ends to a world championship contest ever.

It has put F1 director Michael Masi in the spotlight for the way he re-started the race with one lap to go and with only Verstappen on fresh tyres.
“Without the safety car, Lewis would have become champion. With the safety car, Max became champion,” said two-time champion Fernando Alonso.

“So in that respect, luck decided today, we have to be honest about that. But if you look at the other 21 races, even this one, Max also had a lot of bad luck, so maybe this was justice,” he told Ziggo Sport.

https://grandpx.news/lucky-title-for...ustice-alonso/


‘This is getting manipulated’ - How late F1 drama played out over radio
F1
Lewis Larkam
13 Dec 2021

The 2021 Formula 1 season ended in dramatic and controversial circumstances in the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton seemed in complete control and on course to win a record-breaking eighth world title until a late safety car flipped the race on its head and enabled Max Verstappen and Red Bull to capitalise.

A late crash for Williams driver Nicholas Latifi resulted in a full safety car just a few laps from the end of Sunday's 58-lap showdown.

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/994710...ded-over-radio


Gary Anderson: Red Bull had lost the title until F1 went haywire
By Gary Anderson

But it was all over until Nicholas Latifi threw it at the wall. That led to a safety car and with five laps to go it was going to be nip and tuck as to how the race would finish.

With Red Bull and Verstappen keeping an eye on what Hamilton was going to do, when the Mercedes didn’t put under the safety car it made sense for Verstappen to do so.

He fitted used softs, but in doing so let some lapped cars past, meaning they were between him and Hamilton, who was neatly tucked up behind the safety car. This is where it all went haywire.

So summing up, Verstappen threw away a well-earned pole with a poor start. Red Bull wasn’t brave enough with its mid-race strategy.

Mercedes, in thinking that the race was going to end up behind the safety car, wanted to keep track position and didn’t pit for softs when it could have.

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-...-went-haywire/


Lewis Hamilton 'asked Toto Wolff to withdraw protests' before FIA chose Max Verstappen
LEWIS HAMILTON was beaten by Max Verstappen in Sunday's F1 Championship decider in Abu Dhabi.
By JACK OTWAY
07:17, Mon, Dec 13, 2021 | UPDATED: 07:17, Mon, Dec 13, 2021

Lewis Hamilton reportedly asked Mercedes chief Toto Wolff to withdraw their two protests following his defeat to Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. The Brit had gone into the day hoping to win the F1 Drivers’ Championship for a record eighth time. However, he was beaten to the prize in controversial circumstances with his Red Bull rival reigning supreme instead.

According to Dutch website F1 maximal, Hamilton actually asked the Silver Arrows to withdraw their protests following the epic encounter.

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...a-One-protests


Verstappen’s mum ‘begged angels’ for title miracle
ANDREW MAITLAND
DECEMBER 13, 2021

Max Verstappen’s mother admits she “begged the angels” for a miracle to help her son become Formula 1 world champion on Sunday.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner also said late in the race that only a “miracle” could deliver the crown to the 24-year-old – and that miracle came on the very last lap of the incredible 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi.

“You got your miracle,” a reporter told the champagne-drenched Verstappen himself once the chequered flag had fallen and the wild celebrations were underway.

“It happens,” the Dutchman answered. “Finally a bit of luck – for me.”

https://grandpx.news/verstappens-mum...title-miracle/

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff FUMES during final lap controversy between Verstappen & Hamilton ��| Team Radio Reaction
Dec 12, 2021

The team radio messages from Mercedes & Red Bull during the final lap drama at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpYvkqv8KzI


Full Garage View of Toto Wolff Talking on FIA Radio on the FINAL Lap
Dec 12, 2021

Full Garage view of Toto Wolff Talking on FIA Radio on the final lap of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Yas Marina).

Jay
When Toto choked at the end in disbelief... absolutely incredible scenes

tom sting
this man need an oscar for delivering all the emotions and tension for the whole year

Ryan Morrison
Toto screaming and pleading with Michael Masi all year to me was equally as entertaining as the on track product. He’s such a great character in this sport. His smugness is unmatched and his endless campaigning for Mercedes is the stuff of a major motion picture.

Abhishek Thakur
This looks like a betrayal scene straight out of a movie. This is gold ����

Mo Kasim
If you think deep, Mick has saved his dad’s record when he fought against Latifi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuVYYZEXUJg


Christian Horner reacting to Max Verstappen final lap
Dec 12, 2021

Lukas Ethan
Love him or hate him, he turned that team into a legend, now with two different drivers, engine manufacturers that didn’t want to give him an engine, losing top drivers, and starting over development with the worst engine. Incredible leader ship and management.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T_UgijiHC4


Michael Masi (FIA) to Toto Wolff Abu Dhabi GP F1 2021 - "It's Called Motor Racing" CRIES iINSIDE!!!!
Dec 12, 2021

Lennart De la Rambelje
Masi: “Toto?”
Wolff: “Yes?”
Masi: “It’s called a motor race, ok..”
Wolff: “Sorry?”
Masi: “We went car racing”
Wolff: “…………….”

This dialogue and Toto Wolff crying wolf perhaps were the best parts of this race.

USA Dutchie
Anthony Hamilton congratulated Max and hugged Jos after the race. He has more class in his pinky finger than Wolff in his whole body.

shogrran
Imagine watching every race in the entire race calendar for 2021, constructors using all their resources...... but all that mattered really was the last lap of the last race.

tyler durden
I could watch this a thousand times and not get tired of it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LavR8eTikhY


Lewis Hamilton’s reaction to the safety car with full radio conversation
Dec 12, 2021

Mario Ayala
The calmness in their voices and professionalism is so instrumental to their overall communication

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWG782-XZ1E


Lewis Hamilton and Bono speechless after losing the title on the last lap
Dec 12, 2021

Pratham Sharma
“Bono my title is gone..”

Track Force
The Silence was so loud

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DijlWp-TzDM


Haas F1 pit crew cheering for Max Verstappen during last lap / Abu Dhabi GP
Dec 12, 2021

�� �� �� Credits- Haas F1 �� �� ���� ��

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DliJJfyqRDI


F1 Drivers Congratulating Max Verstappen After Winning The 2021 F1 Championship
Dec 12, 2021

The 2021 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race was amazing. Red Bull Racing F1 driver, Max Verstappen won the 2021 F1 championship. Here is multiple F1 drivers congratulating Max Verstappen during their post race interviews.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr46_-DhwwY


A controversial end to an unbelievable season! | Ted's Notebook | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
12th Dec 2021

Paul Chebs
Excellent journalism by Ted, he better be sticking around for a while as it’s such a pleasure hearing what he has to say

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fye9nM5NVsY

[denkimi]

Has there been a reason given for perez's retirement? That seemed pretty weird and even suspicious to me.

[ouvreur]

The story goes that he was running deliberately light on fuel... they planned to run him deeper into the race than Hamilton, his lighter car would then enable him to put up a better fight against the Mercedes when it caught up with him...