2021 Abu Dhabi F1 GP analysis by Peter Windsor
It looked, for a while, that the finale would pan out into some sort of orderly, even predictable, ending: Lewis had been in charge of the race since the start. But then that 2021 X-factor settled upon the Yas Marina Circuit - a Safety Car with but five laps to run. Mercedes kept Lewis out on track; Max stopped for a fresh set of Pirelli softs.
Given the accident mess - Nicholas Latifi's Williams had hit the wall - and the five lapped cars sitting between Lewis and Max - Lewis's win seemed assured. Then Michael Masi, the Race Director, obviously under pressure to ensure that this race (and championship) did not end behind a Safety Car, seemed to change the goal posts.
First, he told the drivers of the five lapped cars that they needed to stay behind Lewis (and in front of Max). Although this is contrary to the regs, it is probably in the power of the Race Director to make this call. Either way, it still looked good for Lewis. Then, a few minutes later, realising that the accident debris had been cleared faster that at first thought, Masi made another call - this time for the five cars to unlap themselves.
Crucially, though, Masi did not then instruct the other three lapped drivers in the race - Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll and Mick Schumacher - to do likewise, thus creating confusion up and down the pit lane. Out on the track, with one lap remaining, Lewis, on his old, hard Pirellis, was a sitting duck. Max won that last-lap sprint to the flag with consummate ease.
Because of these Safety Car inconsistencies, however, Mercedes at the time of video posting have issued a formal notice of protest. Given that this race was a championship decider, it's very unlikely that any verdict will affect the outcome. It means, though, that the 2021 World Championship - a 22-race marathon - has ended on a note of confusion and argument. Which, of course, is probably an appropriate summation of the feel of the year as a whole.
In this video Peter Windsor looks back at the race - at the first phase, led by Lewis Hamilton; at the Safety Car drama; and at Max Verstappen's championship win.
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Ah Peter, glad you mentioned right at the end that it wasnt Lewis that lost the WDC , it was Lewis and Merc, remember Lewis's adage , we win as a team and lose as a team.
My other point in relation to the rules is There is also a rule which states ( the race director shall have "overriding authority" on a number of matters, including the safety car.
And finally Lewis next year ? even someone as respected as PW is, and he is for those intelligent enough to look up who he is, isnt convinced about his chances next year.and extra finally, Merc arent appealing, all they have done at the moment is lodged there intention to appeal.., i suspect once Toto has stopped crying hell see it for what it is, ie pointless.
Leopold, if you are auditing these posts. PLEASE include Peter's recaps following every future race. Absolute clarity. Yes, you can hear the HAM bias, but Windsor is British, after all. Still, he articulates things that the rest of us miss. Good stuff. Oh, and thank you for the season and hard work. Read you in March.
HI Peter you should of known yourself that it doesn't matter if it was a Championship battle we went to watch Formula one and it wasn't the correct safety car procedure the fact that you even forgot to even mention the whole of the race control who work alongside the race director also had known about that race fixing as that's what you should be calling it as how come sky sports knew that there was going to be at least one more racing lap even on lap 56 when there were still safety Marshals on track doing a tidy up operation clearing debris as real long time watches of F1 as fans of the sport that knows the rules also and how come you don't call it out that it's been all over money over viewing figures to attract a new young audience or something like to create a grandstand finish please if you could point this out as Abu Dhabi 21 will always be remembered as an fixed event for all of those rules that were Manipulated just to try and manufacture a new Champion for 2021 as so many people were more interested all of a sudden of F1 and let's not go on about how Redbull cheated on its cost cap from the start of 2021 and I will finally leave you alone with it should of been Lewis Hamiltons 8th winning championship and the greatest comeback of any sport but instead you tell people on your Video that Mercedes lost it halfway through the season which is unreasonable. Any way thank you if you have read what I've said and hope you can be who you are now an journalist so report it to the media attention as it's all toxic on social media.
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