FIA publish official report on controversial F1 Abu Dhabi GP result; find 'key errors'

In a key development, FIA has released the official report on the controversial Abu Dhabi GP result that saw former race director Michael Masi sacked prior to the F1 2022 season. Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen defeated seven-time Drivers' Champion Lewis Hamilton for the title after the Australian motorsports official made some contentious decisions during the season finale. The Dutchman won his maiden championship after passing the Brit on the final lap of the race by pitting for fresher tyres under the safety car, which was introduced following Nicholas Latifi's crash.

However, during the safety car, Masi allowed only a few lapped cars to overtake that were between Hamilton and Verstappen, allowing the two to have a final lap showdown for the championship. As a result, the Mercedes F1 driver's old tyres were no match against the Red Bull Racing driver's fresher soft compound tyres, allowing Verstappen to make an easy pass and win a controversial championship.

FIA releases official report of controversial Abu Dhabi GP result

Via a detailed statement issued on Saturday, the FIA said that the World Motor Sport Council 'unanimously endorsed the contents of this report' and that they would continue to work to 'implement the recommendations identified as soon as possible.' As per the report, the recommendations include:

1. "To assist the Race Director in the decision‐making process, a Virtual Race Control Room should be created. Like the Video Assistance Referee (VAR) in football, it will be positioned in one of the FIA Offices as a backup outside the circuit. In real‐time connection with the FIA F1 race director, it will help to apply the Sporting Regulations using the most modern technological tools."
2. "Direct radio communications during the race, currently broadcast live by all TVs, should be removed in order to protect the Race Director from any pressure and allow him to take decisions peacefully. It will still be possible to ask questions to the Race Director, according to a well‐defined and non‐intrusive process."
3. "Unlapping procedures behind Safety Car should be reassessed by the F1 Sporting Advisory Committee and presented to the next F1 Commission prior to the start of the season."
4. "A new race management team has been put in place starting in Barcelona for the test session. Niels Wittich (former DTM Race Director) and Eduardo Freitas (former WEC Race Director) will act alternatively as Race Director, assisted by Herbie Blash (former right‐hand man of Charlie Whiting) as a permanent senior advisor."

As for the controversial safety car incident, the report also added that the F1 teams had accepted that their preference was to finish a race under green flag conditions. The only time they would accept finishing under the Safety Car was 'if for safety reasons it is not possible to withdraw it.'

As for Michael Masi's decision to allow only a few lapped cars to unlap themselves, the report added, "Due to the fact that manual interventions generally carry a higher risk of human error, the software has been developed that will, from now on, automate the communication of the list of cars that must un-lap themselves." Masi, who was sacked by the FIA as race director, will now take up a different role within the same organization.

Meanwhile, the complete FIA report can be accessed on their official website.