Mercedes recordsdata 2 protests after Hamilton loses F1 title

Mercedes filed two protests after Lewis Hamilton misplaced the Formula One world title to Max Verstappen on the ultimate lap of the final race on the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.
Verstappen overtook Hamilton on Lap 58 in thrilling model after a crash involving Nicholas Latifi introduced out the security automotive with only a few laps left and confusion surrounded the restart.
One protest was concerning the overtaking and the opposite involved the security automotive restart process.
Before Latifi’s crash, Hamilton was coasting to world title No. 8.

That extraordinary closing lap of the 2021 title race in full 😮#AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/kknTMDfpAF
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 12, 2021
There had already been one digital security automotive deployed earlier within the race for a smaller crash, however this time the actual one got here out with little time left to take away Latifi’s automotive and clear particles off the observe.
Verstappen’s Red Bull staff determined to pit him to change to new tires whereas Mercedes stayed out to maintain observe place. But it in the end left Hamilton at Verstappen’s mercy on far faster, recent tires than Hamilton’s fading, slower ones. They had been imagined to take him over the road, however ultimately they couldn’t maintain off Verstappen.
Initially, the choice was taken to not let lapped vehicles overtake the security automotive, which might have meant a number of drivers would have been in Verstappen’s approach on the restart and made it tougher to succeed in Hamilton over one lap.
Red Bull staff principal Christian Horner was in radio contact with F1 race director Michael Masi at that time and mentioned “(But) we only need one lap” to complete a race correctly.

A dramatic closing chapter of the 2021 season performed out in Abu Dhabi on Sunday 🍿🎬
Watch race highlights from Yas Marina now! ⬇️#AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 12, 2021
Masi then reversed the decision to permit lapped vehicles to go and arrange that closing lap of racing.
“When everything is clear you have to release the track, so that’s a fair point from the race direction,” Verstappen mentioned after the race in settlement.
However, of the lapped drivers solely Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel overtook — these between Hamilton and Verstappen — whereas Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll and Mick Schumacher didn’t.
Verstappen made his go within the fifth flip and Hamilton had one final shot. He pulled his Mercedes even with the Red Bull however couldn’t clear it. Verstappen turned the primary Dutch world champion and thwarted Hamilton’s bid to maneuver one away from Michael Schumacher as essentially the most profitable driver in F1 historical past.

BREAKING: Mercedes have protested “against the classification established at the end of the Competition”, referring to alleged breaches of Articles 48.8 and 48.12 of the FIA Sporting Regulations#AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/bO6BLN8lv5
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 12, 2021
The end angered Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who demanded “the last lap be reinstated.”
But Masi was agency in his reply.
“Toto, it’s called a motor race,” he mentioned. “We want car racing.”
The different protest was for the way in which Verstappen drove earlier than the race restarted. He pulled proper alongside Hamilton close to the tip of Lap 57 and fractionally forward on Lap 58.
The rules say “no driver may overtake another car on the track, including the safety car, until he passes the line for the first time after the safety car has returned to the pits.”
Mercedes lodged their protests throughout the allotted 30-minute window after the race.

The staff mentioned it will “not make any further comment on the detail of that until the hearing has been conducted”.
Verstappen was requested to touch upon the Mercedes protest.
“Not much really to say about that, it also sums up a little bit the season,” mentioned Verstappen, who in earlier races has expressed frustration at some penalties which have been given towards him — together with two within the final race in Saudi Arabia.
He had responded with sarcasm to the preliminary resolution to not permit lapped vehicles to overhaul the security automotive.
“Of course, I’m not surprised,” Verstappen mentioned with an air of resignation.
Minutes later, he was overtaking Hamilton on the way in which to glory.