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Updated December 13th, 2021 at 14:27 IST

F1 Championship: Did Michael Masi favour Verstappen over Hamilton in Abu Dhabi GP?

Michael Masi's decision to speed up the safety car procedure to complete the final lap of the race helped Max Verstappen claim his maiden F1 title.

Reported by: Suraj Alva
Michael Masi and Max Verstappen
Image: F1/ Red Bull/ Instagram | Image:self
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The stage was set for one of the greatest F1 finale races at Abu Dhabi GP, with all the eyes on Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, the rivalry which has grown over the years. The Abu Dhabi GP race did not disappoint the fans, with Max Verstappen taking away the F1 World Championship Crown but not without the controversy which has received severe backlash on social media.

Michael Masi's mistake helps Max Verstappen win F1 title

The main drama at Abu Dhabi GP came during the final lap of the season-ending race. Michael Masi's decision to speed up the safety car procedure to complete the final lap of the race proved to be a blessing in disguise for Max Verstappen, who lined up alongside Lewis Hamilton behind the Aston Martin safety car for the final lap.

Verstappen was able to overtake Lewis Hamilton, courtesy of fresh tires which was installed during the pitstop before the final lap. Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, had hoped to cross the finish line with an old set of tyres.

The controversy came about as Masi first instructed that lapped cars will not be permitted to overtake the safety car, only to change his decision a few seconds after. As per the rules, Article 48.8 of the FIA regulations states, "No driver may overtake another car on the track, including the safety car until he passes the Line (see Article 5.3) for the first time after the safety car has returned to the pits." 

Mercedes decided to lodge a protest, which was regarding Max Verstappen overtaking Lewis Hamilton and the safety car restart procedure. However, they failed to yield any results from the protest as Verstappen remained as the new F1 World Champion.

Michael Masi Belgian GP controversy

This is not the first time that Michael Masi has been surrounded in controversy this season. He was responsible for the abandoning of the Belgian GP earlier in 2021. He tried to get the race underway and used his powers to suspend the race clock but it was abandoned after just a handful of safety car laps.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: How Max Verstappen won his maiden F1 Championship 

Lewis Hamilton did take the lead in the initial part of the race, however, Max Verstappen was right on his tail and kept the pressure on the defending champion. Verstappen's Red Bull Racing teammate, Sergio Perez also had a major part to play as he fought Hamilton for the lead and helped Max Verstappen reduce deficit on his rival to less than two seconds.

The dramatic final lap saw the lapped cars being allowed to overtake the safety car just before it was taken off. With Max Verstappen lining up alongside Lewis Hamilton, it was the Red Bull driver who took advantage of his fresh tyres to seal the victory and break Hamilton's dominance.

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Published December 13th, 2021 at 14:27 IST

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