The battle for the two world titles of the 2021 Formula 1 season came to a head at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen entered the final race of the year level on points, while Mercedes and Red Bull battled it out for the constructors’ championship.
The tension between the bosses of the two teams was increasing throughout the campaign, even in the final appointment in Yas Marina, the FIA brought together Toto Wolff and Christian Horner in the same press conference. It was not the first time that the faces were seen in a press room, but the tension was evident by the crossing of statements that dragged.
Verstappen’s controversial victory prompted Mercedes to protest to the FIA, although the body did not change the result. After a few days of silence later on the part of the Germans, they announced that they were withdrawing their protest, so that Red Bull could celebrate the drivers’ title in a calm way.
Someone who has spent many years in this type of battle between two teams is Stefano Domenicali , current president and CEO of Formula 1. The Italian spoke during an event in which he was awarded the prestigious Lorenzo Bandini award, and said that the category could not afford to drag sequels of this fight to 2022.
He also highlighted how important it was for F1 that Mercedes and Red Bull resolve their differences for the good of the sport.
When asked about his concerns for the upcoming season, Domenicali stated: “Those who live with certainties sleep well! We have doubts about how we will face the year, there are still some problems that we have to solve.”
“We will have to evaluate day after day that the relationship between Red Bull and Mercedes recovers to avoid personal confrontations that we have seen and do not benefit.”
Mercedes remains upset over how the FIA handled the resumption of the race in Abu Dhabi after Nicholas Latifi’s safety car. According to the Germans, this broke the sports regulations, and that is why they filed the protest.
Despite withdrawing the protest, Mercedes has promised to ask the regulatory body for a report after the announcement they made of creating a commission to investigate what happened. F1 owners Liberty Media have kept quiet on the matter, preferring new FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem to take charge.
On the situation, Domenicali commented: “We have already spoken with the president. We have talked about the priorities that he has to face, and there are many. But, at this moment, it is better to be silent so as not to generate more controversy than there is, although I would like to say that we come from an extraordinary season, followed by more than two billion people.
“The last Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the most followed sporting event of 2021. These are stratospheric numbers, of which we can feel proud,” revealed the Italian.
Domenicali acknowledged, however, that Sulayem ‘s arrival at the FIA will mean a change in the dynamic for the governing body: “With the new president, there may be a shift in the FIA, and that has a fundamental role for us.”
