2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina, Dec 10 - 12

[_cerber1]

[Bill_Kar]

In my opinion firing Masi would barely solve the problem as long as the rules are ambiguous. In this case particular the SC rules should have been clear about lapped cars and there shouldn't be any "ifs and buts" or "the race directory having the final say". Anyways after this dramatic season, I am just curious to see the revenue of FOM and liberty media. They would have dragged it to the final corner if possible to keep it exciting and make up for the lost revenue from last year.

The thing is, in this case, rules are not ambiguous. They are black and white.

Race director went astray by a lot, that can't possibly happen without your bosses' approval.

Even if Masi is gone, nothing will really change. This is the new F1, simply.

I love this new F1, where there is intense competition, leading to stressful official decisions and not one driver checking out after 1st lap in a 2 second a lap fast car.

Every opinion is respected, mate. It's just that I prefer watching Netflix shows on the platform of Netflix, not on SkySports.

[pantherxxx]

Hamilton had way more luck with the SC in Imola. It's insulting to say that Verstappen just won the championship because he was lucky, when Hamilton had more luck throughout the season. Well deserved Max. Most wins, poles, most podiums and laps led in 2021.

[DChemTech]

Conclusion :

If Max is an undisputed Champion after this season, why bordering to answers to Hamilton fans. The truth is Max and RedBull will never be cleared of the Masi manipulation and it is sad.

Everydoby even the one race viewer saw what happened, U don't like Mercedes or Hamilton, the guy was robbed. So using Mercedes 8 or 7 years domination or Verstappen almighty driving capabilities or Hamilton errors in Baku wont gonna change that.

Just chill and choose who is the best 4 you and what decision makes you live your life in peace. Don't try to push your opinions into other people mind. F1 goes on

And had Lewis won, the converse could be argued. Even if he won this race with a 6 lap margin without any incidents, enough incidents have happened throughout the season, with disputable decisions towards both sides, to taint the championship. A championship is not the result of a single decision in a single race, it's accumulated over the season. Regardless of how this race panned out, fans on both sides could argue the championship was handed to the other, and the championship would go into the books as controversial. Mainly due to decision by the FIA, but also due to the role teams had in lobbying those decisions.

[Aesop]

And to all the Verstappen supporters in this thread who think the decision was right... how would you have felt if Max had dominated the race with a 10s gap and then have it all go to tears because the race director decided to throw all the procedures out the window and enable Hamilton on fresh softs a chance at overturning a one-sided 50 lap race up to that point? There's only really one answer.

I would cry like a little baby.
But Masi screwed up before he screwed up. Had he let the lapped cars unlap earlier, which was perfectly possible, we would've had the same outcome.
In the end, Max is champion, that's what counts. Hamilton will bounce back more hungry than ever.

[Spoutnik]

Let’s face it, Masi tried to solve the trolley dilemma.

By wanting to give Max a fighting chance he forced Lewis to lose the race and WDC.
By not wanting to have Lewis win the race and title under safety car he made the division he did.

Is there any legal precedent for that trolley problem?

Idk if there's a legal precedent, but imo he sould've just red flag the race and we could have a standing start on equal tyres which would have been amazing for the fan and for "business" as well.

Red flag for no damage to the barriers is questionable as well. But they couldn't extend the race due to fuel limits, so I call a vote to bring back refuelling!

Ofc it's questionable, nevertheless iirc correctly the red flag at Baku wasn't necessary we could have finished under yellow flag with cars speeding through the pit lane while they were clearing the track (the race was restarted with two laps left iirc). Nevertheless the "Masi show" needed a red flag. We could have had the same thing yersteday with a car in a barrier and few debris and smoke all over.

I think Masi gave the championship to Max in wanting to not be seen as "the guy" who gave the championship to Hamilton-Merc, whereas there was another option...

[Spoutnik]

Hamilton had way more luck with the SC in Imola. It's insulting to say that Verstappen just won the championship because he was lucky, when Hamilton had more luck throughout the season. Well deserved Max. Most wins, poles, most podiums and laps led in 2021.

I feel like it's not right to say Hamilton had always all the luck in the world and today "the wheel has turned".
Max also had some luck : Spa ofc, I would also mention Russia which could have been a huge loss of points for him without the rain he was stuck behind Alonso who had fresher tyres (in 6 et 7 position), and in Jeddah we all forgot it but Bottas could finish ahead of him without all the red flags drama which could have changed everything.
It was a very long season and everyone had his moments of luck, I don't think in the end Hamilton or Verstappen had more luck than the other one.

[Starkblood80]

I love this new F1, where there is intense competition, leading to stressful official decisions and not one driver checking out after 1st lap in a 2 second a lap fast car.

So Hamilton didn’t check out after lap one then? I can’t help think you would have been chirping a different tune had the roles been reversed

He did, at turn 6 on lap 1.

[MattWellsyWells]

I've spoken to a lot of friends, family, colleagues who don't usually follow F1 but just tuned in yesterday and they all think the ending yesterday was stupid. Yesterday was a massive opportunity to gain new fans to the sport but most people sound like they are put off because it just seems ridiculous.

Most people can see that one man dominated that race and deserved to win but it was arguably robbed from him by either bizarre rules or dodgy decisions. A lot of people think F1 is a stupid sport or not even a sport and I think yesterday will have reinforced that opinion in those people.

That's the biggest shame for me and I was actually a bit embarrassed trying to explain this to people who know I'm a huge fan of the sport. Makes me look stupid as well.

Either driver would have deserved the championship based on the whole season. A shame it had to end this way.

I can't imagine that most "non-f1 fans" would be in disagreement over what happened. In their eyes, instead of a boring winner being 10 seconds up the road with no hope to be caught or passed, they got to see a last lap dash to the finish.

How would they know about the tire advantage if they don't follow the sport? How would they have known the procedures for a f1 restart during a safety car period? How would they know the respective advantage and disadvantage when factoring in pit times and who has which options available to them?

Sorry mate. The non-fans got exactly what they wanted. Last lap drama without the requirement for any brain cells whatsoever.

I'm not saying it's right - but yesterday, the "show" was chosen above all else.

And to all the Verstappen supporters in this thread who think the decision was right... how would you have felt if Max had dominated the race with a 10s gap and then have it all go to tears because the race director decided to throw all the procedures out the window and enable Hamilton on fresh softs a chance at overturning a one-sided 50 lap race up to that point? There's only really one answer.

Perhaps you're right about most non-fans getting what they want with a last lap shootout. I'm just saying what I have experienced in my conversations with people since the race. No one has told me that they thought it was an amazing, exciting climax to the race. Everyone has told me it seems like a stupid end and it sounds like they'd be put off watching it again.

[f1jcw]

So how long do we have to wait to find out if they are following through with the protest?

[Ryar]

Hamilton had way more luck with the SC in Imola. It's insulting to say that Verstappen just won the championship because he was lucky, when Hamilton had more luck throughout the season. Well deserved Max. Most wins, poles, most podiums and laps led in 2021.

I feel like it's not right to say Hamilton had always all the luck in the world and today "the wheel has turned".
Max also had some luck : Spa ofc, I would also mention Russia which could have been a huge loss of points for him without the rain he was stuck behind Alonso who had fresher tyres (in 6 et 7 position), and in Jeddah we all forgot it but Bottas could finish ahead of him without all the red flags drama which could have changed everything.
It was a very long season and everyone had his moments of luck, I don't think in the end Hamilton or Verstappen had more luck than the other one.

Why was Spa and Russia a luck? In Spa, Max put the car on pole and lead the race under whatever conditions available. In Russia, the team made an inspired call to pit him at the right time. Rain is a factor in races and it's a skill to put the car on pole and pit at the right time. That is not luck.

[Shrieker]

That is pure speculation. Present me the proof that Max has been chosen to win the title by FIA troughout the season. And why have they decided for that? The circumstances in this race are shady, that is true but dont scoop that low to say it was all staged for Max to become a champion. I bet someone will come out with a story that crane operater was bribed by RedBull to work faster than usual, just to ensue race to continue. And i bet illuminati are involved as well.

If you believe for a second that, that race would've been restarted the exact way it had been, when Lewis would've been on new soft/meds in 2nd place, and MV on very used hards, I have a bridge to sell you

The one you bought yourself?

No, it doesn't have to be mine to sell, that's the trick Your interest in the matter on the other hand, is delightful

[jknights]

I posted this by mistake in the Mercedes AMG Team discussion.

OK. So we have an appeal from Mercedes and no matter who wins the appeal the 2021 WDC title is now tarnished.
So what happens now... I suggest to avoid another repeat of this debacle.

1. Somebody like Ross Brawn or Stefano Domenicali, or others, to sit down and draft a set of rules that clean up the current rule book. These will need to be in place for start of 2022 season.
a. Take away the ambiguities.
b. Remove the chance for a repeat performance by an weak, inept Race Director.
c. Tighten up what constitutes a fair overtake.
d. Reconsider the use of the tarmac areas, e.g. any incursion into them causes a 5 second penalty, pushing of another driver that causes such an incursion by a driver into the run off areas incurs a 10 second penalty. We need to make it totally clear that the racing only happens between the white lines of the track. (I would say put in armco at the edges but that would be deemed to be a safety hazard and I agree).
These new rules are discussed with teams but may not be vetoed and if no agreement reached then imposed. (Suck it up Mercedes, Ferrari, RBR, it is not all about you).

2. Remove the current Race Director as he is inept, multiple examples through the year 2021 and also 2020.

3. Introduce a rotating (or permanent for 1 year) panel of five members of ex-drivers who adjudicate all incidents. No member of the panel can have an association current or past 5-10 years with any racing team (especially Mercedes, RBR, Ferrari, Maclaren). The Race Director has no voting rights in these adjudications.

4. No chat, questions or comment from teams to the Race Director in the race over incidents. The race director and stewards decide what is reviewed and only if interviewed by stewards do teams or drivers get to attend or talk.


Now the contentious.
5. Make the Sprint races a part of every weekend or drop them totally. If every weekend then have a separate Sprint world champion driver, but not constructor, title.

[RZS10]

So how long do we have to wait to find out if they are following through with the protest?

They have until thursday to decide whether they appeal or not. First rumours say they might not do it afterall.

[e30ernest]

If Max is an undisputed Champion after this season, why bordering to answers to Hamilton fans. The truth is Max and RedBull will never be cleared of the Masi manipulation and it is sad.

I wonder if down the line it will be remembered like that Prost vs Senna 1989. I mean, Senna wouldn't have won that title anyway, but Prost's win was marred by that collision and Senna's disqualification.