Last minute: Mercedes files a complaint for Hamilton after arrival in Abu Dhabi

Mercedes plays its ultimate card of the 2021 season: one hour after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finish, the German team officially submits a complaint to the FIA.

Toto Wolff’s team protests against the final classification validated at the arrival of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In detail, two points are invoked by the German team.

The case of the late cars

The article 48.12 of the FIA sporting regulations is mentioned, in a chapter dedicated to the Safety Car.

Mercedes is actually filing a complaint against the restart procedure decided by the race director at the end of the 57th lap. Michael Masi reversed his decision by first denying and then allowing the backmarkers to regain their lap.

Problem, not all of the lapped cars caught up to the back of the pack before the restart! The FIA rushed to restart the race, which was marked by Max Verstappen’s overtake on Lewis Hamilton.

The case of the Hamilton vs Verstappen face-off.

Furthermore, Mercedes directly challenges Verstappen on article 48.8 of the FIA. This rule states that before a race restart after the Safety Car, no car can overtake the Safety Car or any other car in front of it. In this instance, Verstappen positioned himself alongside Hamilton once the safety car had gone to the pits.

A decision that gets a reaction from Alain Prost, the four-time world champion and non-executive director of Alpine, speaking on Canal+ microphone, addressing the conditions of the restart and not the direct Hamilton vs Verstappen incident.

« This is an additional controversy. We don’t need this. The fault is mainly committed by the sports authority and not by the Red Bull team.
» What will the FIA decide now? Alain Prost is asking the authorities to find « a solution » so that the drivers can follow rules… a bit clearer and more precise.