F1 didn't follow own rules in Verstappen vs Hamilton Abu Dhabi finale, says current star
DESPITE the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix taking place almost two months ago, the drama and controversy from the finale continues to rumble on.
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F1 went against its own rules during the closing stages of the title decider between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, argues fellow driver Lance Stroll. The Canadian expressed his frustration regarding the controversial decision made by race director Michael Masi, which essentially decided the outcome of the 2021 title.
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After Nicholas Latifi's late crash, Masi initially instructed that lapped cars could not overtake the safety vehicle until it left the track, meaning there would not have been time for Verstappen to get behind his rival.
However, Masi later controversially changed his mind, allowing the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves before ordering the safety car off the track.
Therefore, the 24-year-old could get on the British driver's tail before overtaking him in a one-lap shootout, benefiting from driving on far newer tyres.
Stroll, 23, was one of the five lapped cars and was baffled by the decision as was evident from his team radio towards the end of the race.
"There's cars overtaking the safety car,” the Aston Martin driver said, to which his race engineer Ben Mitchell responded: “Not us, not us.”
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A confused Stroll replied: “I don't understand. I should be able to overtake the safety car.
After crossing the line he uttered: "Yeah man, what the f---?" as he struggled to comprehend what had taken place.
At the launch of Aston Martin’s 2022 AMR22 car earlier today, Stroll also blasted F1 for their role in the 2021 season finale and inconsistent decision-making.
“I think that consistency in our sport is not our strongest point,” he began.
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“I think Abu Dhabi was just not right. The rules are the rules. When there’s a Safety Car, lapped cars get to overtake the Safety Car and then we go racing.
“There’s nothing that says half the cars can overtake and half the cars have to stay behind and then we’ll go racing. So those things can’t be modified during a race just to put on a show.”
Masi’s decision denied Lewis Hamilton a record eighth F1 world title and Stroll believes it was done to create a more entertaining end to a spectacular season of racing.
“Definitely, that was an example of poor consistency,'' he added.
“The rules are the rules and can’t be changing, modifying the rules for entertainment.
“It has to be sports first and if there is something that Formula 1 or the FIA maybe did wrong or could have done differently then that’s something to review in hindsight after the race. But I don’t think it’s right that that happened in Abu Dhabi.”
The racer, who is on the verge of beginning his sixth season in F1, thinks more discussions will be had between drivers and FIA regarding the handling of one of the most dramatic races of all time.
“There’s been talks but everyone kind of disappeared after Abu Dhabi,” Stroll mentioned. “So I’m sure we’ll touch on it some more as drivers with the FIA and with Formula 1 and all that leading up to the first race.”
