F1 paddock is split down the middle about title finale
Dec.13 - The Formula 1 paddock is split down the middle as the sport collectively digests the incredible last-lap climax to the 2021 world championship.
Noting that Lewis Hamilton snubbed the official post-race FIA press conference, Spain's AS newspaper claims "Mercedes does not know how to lose".
Others, though, wondered if race director Michael Masi breached F1's own rules in order to set up the thrilling last-lap battle that ultimately led to Max Verstappen passing Hamilton on fresh tyres and becoming champion.
"Is Max Verstappen a deserved champion? Yes, if you take the whole season into account," veteran Formula 1 journalist Roger Benoit wrote in Blick newspaper.
"Lewis Hamilton finally had an equal rival."
Indeed, Sunday's was just one of many highly contentious decisions from officials this year - particularly in light of the closeness and intensity of the duel between the warring drivers and their teams.
"The officials make decisions with safety in mind, but after that it got confusing," Hamilton's departing Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas told C More after the race.
"I am sure it will be addressed for the future. For Lewis, it just feels unfair.
"For me, I don't know," the Finn added. "Lewis dominated the race and the safety car gave it to Max - that's the way it is. But sometimes it benefits you and sometimes it's the other way around."
Mercedes is vowing to appeal the stewards' decision to kick out the team's official protests, and former driver Christian Danner doesn't condemn Toto Wolff for that.
"It's quite normal to fight if you think you have not been treated fairly," he told RTL.
"You have to understand them if their legal advice is that things don't look right," Danner said.
"Michael Masi obviously wanted there to be a race - he didn't want the championship to end behind the safety car. The decisive factor is whether he limited himself to the meaning and purpose of the rules or not."
Danner doubts Verstappen's win will be overturned, but admits that there has "never been a case like this before".
"I'm just not sure if Mercedes is doing itself any favours by pursuing it," he admitted.
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There's some confusion over what happened here, so what ill explain for those who arent sure.
Masi- go ahead Toto,
Toto-we need to reinstate the lap before, its not right
Here's the first problem, what Toto is actually saying to Masi is, YOU need to reinstate the lap before, so basically hes telling the race director how to do his job .
Masi to Toto - Toto
Toto- yes
Masi -its called a motor race ok
Toto - Sorry ..!
Here's the second problem, whats happened here is Totos Austrian/German side comes out and his brain , is saying does not compute , does not compute.
Masi- we went car racing.
Now unfortunately and this hasn't been played out on radio yet, Toto cant stop himself and his brain just hits the default setting, and repeats those now legendary words
"Michael I just sent you an email, with diagrams with where the car should be,did you receive that?
There, that should clear things up nicely .
shroppyfly, I can add one more comment;- With the track cleared (after removing Latifi's car) and with 2 laps left, how could anybody expect Masi to leave the safety car on track until the end of the race? Correct decision made. The racing Gods at last smiled at Red Bull. :))
What a complete farce, call that motor racing. Two title contenders, 4 laps to the end, one contender at the front, the other 4 cars behind lapped cars and both contenders doing very similar lap times. An incident occurs on track and the trailing contender enters the pits and fits new tyres, he then rejoins the track and is allowed to return to his previous track position, the track officials then remove the 4 cars that the leader has had to overtake leaving a free track to the other contender. Thats not racing, and if you tell me thats the rules then I would suggest that F1 need to get some new rule makers with a few more grey cells between their ears.
spot on
Snubbing the official post race FIA interview was pretty low class.
Max walking off the stage after the trophies were handed out in Saudi was low class as well.
You boys need to suck it up and show up for the fans. Two amazing races, with controversy... but fans were glued to their screens!
Could Stefan have been any happier on the pre-race grid walk?
What about all the Merc fans around the world......Jackshit from Toto , face the media toto....!!!
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