Poll: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021, Yas Island - Race 22

[Steampunk]

I voted 10/10 for the several near heart failures I had during the last 10 laps.

Mercedes strategy team need to have good think over the winter.

The strategy team did the right thing and Hamilton would have won the race and WDC if the FIA rules had actually been followed and Masi did not break the rules to gift Verstappen the win.

 

[iamtheoneneo]

I’m trying to understand your mindset, it seems you’re trying to make yourself feel better about your life by hanging on to the coat-tails of a driver winning a race that you have no connection with. At the same time you don’t want to talk about it (on an online discussion forum) because we all know what a joke of a result it was. If you’re not going to discuss and simply attempt to gloat about the result going the way you wanted it to, why are you here? Strange individual.

Hmmm arguing over privileged millionaires racing. No thanks.
This has hardly been the first season in F1 where there has been drama and it won't be the last.

 

[GodAtum]

Ignoring the controversy, Max's last lap was fair and well done.

 

[throwaway4372]

They need to deal with incidents in a way that doesn't require someone to give up all their time advantage, or give people free pit stops.

 

[The_One]

made up for the start of the race where hamilton should have given up position after going off the track

hamilton doesnt like wheel to wheel racing its dangerous remember

perez plays blinder holding up hamilton wheel to wheel on knackered tyres and hamiltons response on his team radio is "some dangerous driving there man"

 

[Stumble Bum]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1470049197437202439

Brilliant.

 

[Jono8]

Ignoring the controversy, Max's last lap was fair and well done.

He had brand new softs against Lewis's 40 lap old hards...

It was always going to be ridiculously easy to overtake Lewis.

 

[muon]

I’m in 2 minds. One hand Masi basically handed the race over and bent rules, the other hand he let racings happen where it mattered on a last minute judgement call then merc lost to strategy.

if merc pit Lewis, he had the quicker car so Lewis still wins. So taking the questionable call out Merc lost this by putting early, then not putting again, then not putting under SC. Even Lewis On hards 20 laps newer has a solid chance right there.

Congrats to Max, great to see a new Champion and makes next season even more interesting looking, lewis pushing for record breaking in a new car atleast.

Masi would be catching grief what ever call he made.

Unlap all cars - races ends under SC

no cars unlap - give RB almost no chance despite playing the better strategy

do what he done - RB win from the better strategy.

All of them Masi gets hate, atleast this way we got a race out of it.

What happened at the end though, turns out Mercedes correctly calculated the race could not be restarted. If they pitted and Max didn't then it was race over.

If Hamilton was second, do we think the race would have been restarted like it was or would the F1 authorities grabbed a new world champion with both hands. We will never know, although I think I know which would have happened. Max is very popular and has a strong dutch following clearly evidenced in the stands on many tracks.

 

[Entai]

I’m in 2 minds. One hand Masi basically handed the race over and bent rules, the other hand he let racings happen where it mattered on a last minute judgement call then merc lost to strategy.

if merc pit Lewis, he had the quicker car so Lewis still wins. So taking the questionable call out Merc lost this by putting early, then not putting again, then not putting under SC. Even Lewis On hards 20 laps newer has a solid chance right there.

Congrats to Max, great to see a new Champion and makes next season even more interesting looking, lewis pushing for record breaking in a new car atleast.

Masi would be catching grief what ever call he made.

Unlap all cars - races ends under SC

no cars unlap - give RB almost no chance despite playing the better strategy

do what he done - RB win from the better strategy.

All of them Masi gets hate, atleast this way we got a race out of it.

We had seen a race for 50 plus laps.

Which was then turned in to a complete farce.

How about in future we make all grand prix a one lap shoot out where everyone is on different tyres?

Sound fair?

No of course not.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

I’m in 2 minds. One hand Masi basically handed the race over and bent rules, the other hand he let racings happen where it mattered on a last minute judgement call then merc lost to strategy.

if merc pit Lewis, he had the quicker car so Lewis still wins. So taking the questionable call out Merc lost this by putting early, then not putting again, then not putting under SC. Even Lewis On hards 20 laps newer has a solid chance right there.

Congrats to Max, great to see a new Champion and makes next season even more interesting looking, lewis pushing for record breaking in a new car atleast.

Masi would be catching grief what ever call he made.

Unlap all cars - races ends under SC

no cars unlap - give RB almost no chance despite playing the better strategy

do what he done - RB win from the better strategy.

All of them Masi gets hate, atleast this way we got a race out of it.

Finishing behind a SC would have been the fairest resolution to all drivers.

Letting the lapped cars unlap themselves for 1 final lap would have been fine too.

They tried to do the latter and told the teams that’s what was happening, before realising there weren’t enough laps left.

The result was we got some cars unlapping mid-way down the straight and go go go.

 

[Flibster]

If there wasn't enough time or laps to clear the car, clear the debris, let the lapped cars overtake and then wait the lap for them to get clear, then... the race finishes behind the safety car.

If there is time to do all that, then race on.

But... Masi...

 

[Cavallino]

I think we can safely say that there is no love lost towards Michael M by the majority of folk on here.
(I'm neither here or there on the subject).

But lets address, why Michael took this decision?
Was it really to let them race? Was it pressure from Christian screaming at him? Did Toto not object enough?
Did he want to bring WWE to F1?

Incidentally I know a lot of people have been quoting the FIA regulations... and this is absolutely correct.
And I am not saying this is the same as a game of football, but sometimes the referee gets it wrong and there have been games won based on controversial referee decisions.... and never changed after the event...
So by the same token, is the Michaels decision final as the race director?

(All genuine questions to the masses and not intending to troll anyone).

 

[GodAtum]

I think Merc wasn't taking as many risks as Redbull. As a viewer do I want a race ... I suppose so but not to the detriment of it being scripted.

 

[Mr Jack]

Reading the safety car rules they do not seem to have been followed. I fear this will go to court :/

 

[KiNgPiN83]

Sadly either way the FIA have ruined this.

It taints Max's win because it feels massively contrived - he was gifted that. It feels hard to respect that as a title deciding moment.

Equally if Mercedes pursued it legally and got it overturned, people aren't going to respect a title awarded to Lewis in that circumstance.

Masi / FIA have robbed us all of a genuine decider by intervening like that.

If I were Mercedes I’d pursue this without wanting to change the result. Then If I won the case I’d be sure to mention the hollow championship to Horner, mateschitz, and the verstappens at every opportunity…

I haven’t seen the race but it sounds like a red flag would’ve been the best course of action. Just to neutralise the race where it was and not benefit either party.

 

[GTanny]

Gutted mercedes didn't take the rules into there own hands and have Bottas spin into a wall while "warming up his tyres"

Absolutely gutted by the result, going to be a few interesting days of challenges.

Well done to Max but there was only going to be one winner when they let that last lap happen the way they did.

 

[muon]

I think we can safely say that there is no love lost towards Michael M by the majority of folk on here.
(I'm neither here or there on the subject).

But lets address, why Michael took this decision?
Was it really to let them race? Was it pressure from Christian screaming at him? Did Toto not object enough?
Did he want to bring WWE to F1?

Incidentally I know a lot of people have been quoting the FIA regulations... and this is absolutely correct.
And I am not saying this is the same as a game of football, but sometimes the referee gets it wrong and there have been games won based on controversial referee decisions.... and never changed after the event...
So by the same token, is the Michaels decision final as the race director?

(All genuine questions to the masses and not intending to troll anyone).

This is different to football. Results can change afterwards. The last lap could for example be declared not a proper race lap.

 

[Kanpai]

When you balance things up, Max slightly edges it over the season and fully deserves the championship.

This season has had drama and inconsistency from the rulings at which point either driver deserved the win, ultimately luck was on Max side at the very end.

Looking forward to even more competitiveness next year. Looking forward to drive to survive too, boy Netflix are going to have a field day.

 

[Locky]

Bottas should have just crashed under the SC...

 

[Purdy]

I’m in 2 minds. One hand Masi basically handed the race over and bent rules, the other hand he let racings happen where it mattered on a last minute judgement call then merc lost to strategy.

if merc pit Lewis, he had the quicker car so Lewis still wins. So taking the questionable call out Merc lost this by putting early, then not putting again, then not putting under SC. Even Lewis On hards 20 laps newer has a solid chance right there.

Congrats to Max, great to see a new Champion and makes next season even more interesting looking, lewis pushing for record breaking in a new car atleast.

Masi would be catching grief what ever call he made.

Unlap all cars - races ends under SC

no cars unlap - give RB almost no chance despite playing the better strategy

do what he done - RB win from the better strategy.

All of them Masi gets hate, atleast this way we got a race out of it.

If the SC doesn't occur Lewis is coasting to a win.
Undoubtedly Mercedes made mistakes but ultimate Hamilton's management of the tyres was coasting him to a win (which I was very wrong about, thought he'd be a sitting duck in the last 10)

So ultimately Masi's decision change the outcome of the championship and nulled out the rest of the race, which Lewis had built a nearly insurmountable advantage with 5 laps to go.