Why Hamilton, team principal Toto Wolff are dropping appeal, planning to skip Formula 1 Awards Ceremony on Thursday.
- On Thursday Mercedes announced its decision not to appeal the results of last weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix,
- Mercedes’ anger stems from the regulations that were not properly followed in the season’s finale at Abu Dhabi,
- In a major snub to the FIA, neither Hamilton nor Wolff will attend Thursday evening’s prize-giving ceremony in Paris.
The 2021 Formula 1 season is at an end, but the fallout is far from over.
On Thursday Mercedes announced its decision not to appeal the results of last weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, confirming Max Verstappen as the new World Champion.
But Mercedes boss Toto Wolff launched a stinging attack on Formula 1’s governing body the FIA, the procedure that affected Sunday’s finale, and cast doubt over Lewis Hamilton’s continued participation in the sport.
Mercedes’ anger stems from the regulations that were not properly followed in Abu Dhabi, regarding the manner and mechanism with which the race—and the title—was effectively decided. It believes two parts of Article 48.12 of the Sporting Regulations, concerning lapped cars and when the race should restart, were not followed. Stewards rejected that protest and Mercedes lodged its intention to appeal, giving it until today (Thursday) to take matters further.
Toto Wolff plans to skip today’s awards ceremony in Paris.
ATPImagesGetty Images
It did not go ahead with a full appeal as Wolff stressed neither he nor Hamilton wanted to win a championship in a court room.
Hamilton has not spoken publicly since Sunday; he received his knighthood in Windsor on Wednesday.
In a major snub to the FIA, neither Hamilton nor Wolff will attend Thursday evening’s prize-giving ceremony in Paris. Hamilton, as runner-up, is obliged to attend, while Wolff will instead send technical chief James Allison to collect Mercedes’ Constructors’ trophy. Mercedes also refused to send its title-winning F1 and Formula E cars to the FIA’s traditional pre-gala photoshoot. It is the final day of Jean Todt’s 12-year tenure as FIA President and it casts a shadow over his farewell.
While the FIA is more than just Formula 1, Formula 1 is the showpiece championship that has major global resonance.
Neither Hamilton nor Wolff will attend Thursday evening’s prize-giving ceremony in Paris.
Hamilton has a contract with Mercedes through 2023 but with the events of the finale still fresh in the mind Wolff could not fully confirm that the seven-time champion will continue.
“Lewis and I are disillusioned at the moment,” said Wolff during a media briefing that extended to 40 minutes. “We are not disillusioned with the sport—we love the sport with every bone in our body and we love it because the stopwatch never lies.
“But if we break that fundamental principal of sporting fairness and authenticity of the sport then suddenly the stopwatch doesn’t become relevant anymore because we are exposed to random decision-making, that it is clear you may fall out of love with.
“That you start to question if all the work you have been putting in—all the sweat, tears and blood—can actually be demonstrated in terms of being the best possible performance on track, because it can be taken away randomly. So it’s going to take a long time for us to digest what has happened on Sunday, I don’t think we will ever get over it. That’s not possible. And certainly not as a driver. We will never overcome the pain and the distress that was caused on Sunday.”
Wolff emphasized that Mercedes “must never lose the big context of life—this is just Formula 1” but that “many of (the) values and beliefs” that he and Hamilton hold strong “were kicked on Sunday.”
“I would very much hope that Lewis continues racing because he’s the greatest driver of all time,” said Wolff. “When you look at it from the point of view of the last four races he was dominant, there was not even a doubt who won the race. And that was worthy of winning the world championship. So we will be working through the events over the next weeks and months. I think as a racer his heart will say ‘I need to continue’ because he’s at the peak of his game, but we have to overcome the pain that was caused upon him on Sunday, also because he is a man with clear values and it’s difficult to understand that that happened.”
Max Verstappen won the F1 World Championship on Sunday.
Dan Istitene – Formula 1Getty Images
To his credit it must be noted that Wolff graciously labelled Verstappen “a worthy champion” and that “his driving is exceptional, and Red Bull are fierce competitors, and I have the greatest respect of the people working there.”
While Wolff spoke with pain and anguish at the impact of losing the titles his stinging comments were reserved for the FIA and the governing body’s structure.
Mercedes dropped its appeal in the wake of the FIA announcing on Wednesday that it will review the manner in which the race’s final laps were managed and promised that all teams and relevant stakeholders will be involved. But Wolff was critical of the whole structure in itself.
“We believe we had a very strong case and if you look at it from a legal side if it would have been judged in a regular court it is almost guaranteed we would have won,” Wolff said. “But the problem with the ICA (FIA International Court of Appeal) is the way it is structured. The FIA can’t really mark their own homework. And there is a difference between being right and obtaining justice. So there is a lesson to be learned. How can we make sure that going forward, in situations like that, the right decisions are being taken, the verdicts from stewards respond to the regulations, and judgment in the courts whether it is the ICA or CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport), which is not currently part of the legislation, can be judged in a way that is fair and neutral to every participant?”
“…we will hold them (the FIA) accountable”
Wolff asserted that “we will hold them (the FIA) accountable” and that participants are not willing to be “held ransom by ad-hoc decisions” because “we cannot continue in a sport that is meant to be sport followed by entertainment and not the other way around,” asserting that his frustration was not merely down to Sunday’s decision.
“It is a wider problem because if you look at most of the controversies that have happened this year it was about decisions, the inconsistency of the execution of the regulations on track,” he said. “It is one thing to drive hard and have difference of opinion among drivers and teams, it is the nature of the game. But inconsistent decision making… leads to controversies, leads to polarisation.”
Wolff stingingly said he “is not interested in having a conversation with [Race Director] Michael Masi,” and referenced inconsistencies. At last year’s Eifel Grand Prix Masi had explained post-race that a prolonged Safety Car period was necessary because the Sporting Regulations mandated that all lapped cars must unlap themselves. On Sunday only five of eight lapped cars – those between Hamilton and Verstappen – were given that signal.
“How can it be that 14 months ago at the Eifel Grand Prix the explanation that was given was exactly the contrary to what has happened on Sunday,” Wolff questioned. “The explanation that was given that the reason why the Safety Car was out so long [at the Nurburgring round in 2020] is that all cars need to unlap themselves. With the explanation that this is following the Sporting Regulations. 14 months ago. Not only has the decision been taken in a totally opposite way, but there is an explanation being made… 180 degrees different to what went on 14 months ago.”
Even four days after the race Wolff conceded that he still cannot fathom the way the race unfolded.
“To be honest, still today I can’t even understand what was happening,” he said. “I mean, disbelief, for me it still feels surreal. And when I rethink the situation, that at 18:27 (during the race) the right decision was being taken, that no cars will unlap themselves, and four minutes later, out of nowhere, suddenly five cars were allowed to unlap themselves between Lewis and Max. And 10 seconds later the decision was taken that the Safety Car would come in this lap with a handful of laps only left. To be honest, for me that still seems like a nightmare. That’s why I was in total disbelief on Sunday and am still until today.”
Lewis Hamilton leads Max Verstappen at Abu Dhabi.
Dan Istitene – Formula 1Getty Images
“The decisions that have been taken in the last four minutes of the race have dropped Lewis Hamilton of a deserved world championship. His driving in the last four races particularly was faultless. He had a commanding lead on Sunday in Abu Dhabi from the get go. And robbing him in the last lap of the racing, is unacceptable. That’s why from a personal standpoint, from a professional standpoint, I cannot… my values, my sense of integrity, just isn’t compatible to the decisions that have been made on Sunday.”
Wolff was nonetheless hopeful that change can happen over the coming months due to the exposure that is now on Formula 1.
“I think in the day and age of transparency, such decisions [on Formula 1] cannot be made any more in backroom deals,” he said. “Why I am optimistic is that most stakeholders in the sport will share my frustration on the decisions that have been made throughout the year. Everyone who is a racer, you guys (the media), us, knows what happened. Nevertheless I have confidence because we will all be holding on the same rope in the same direction.”
Keyword: Mercedes' Wolff Hopes ‘Disillusioned’ Lewis Hamilton Doesn’t Quit F1 Over Abu Dhabi Debacle