It’s over. The Mercedes team has announced that it is withdrawing its appeal over the decision of the stewards in Abu Dhabi and recognizes Max Verstappen as champion. Four days after the Dutchman was proclaimed world champion after a hectic end of the race, the German team has broken its silence to announce that it has ceased its fight to appeal the decision of the stewards and take the opportunity to congratulate the Red Bull driver for its title. Thus, Verstappen will be able to collect his title with peace of mind this Thursday evening at the FIA awards gala in Paris.
“We left Abu Dhabi without believing what we had just witnessed. Of course, it is part of the game to lose a race, but it is something different when you lose faith in racing. We continue to hold the FIA responsible for this process but hereby withdraw our appeal, “Mercedes said in a statement.
In this way, they withdraw their appeal and accept that the victory of the Abu Dhabi GP and the world title go to Max Verstappen and Red Bull. Of course, they remain rooted in that the FIA and F1 racing director Michael Masi made mistakes and were not equidistant.
“Together with Lewis (Hamilton), we have deliberated on how to respond to the events at the end of the season. We have always been guided by our love for the sport and we believe that all competitions should be won on merit. In Sunday’s race, many, including us, felt that the way things unfolded was not right, ”said the German team.
The reason they protested the race result on the same Sunday was because the Safety Car regulations were applied “in a new way that affected the race result”, after Hamilton led the final laps and lost first place, and the title, on the last lap after the safety car was released and with Verstappen hooked on it after allowing the FIA drivers with a lost lap who were in the middle to move into the safety car.
“We appeal for the sake of sporting fairness, and since then we have had a constructive dialogue with the FIA and Formula 1 to create clarity for the future, so that all competitors are aware of the rules under which they are competing and how they will be enforced. . We appreciate the FIA’s decision to install a commission to fully analyze what happened in Abu Dhabi and improve the robustness of the rules, governance and decision-making in Formula 1. We also appreciate that they have invited the teams and drivers to participate ”, they argued.
The Mercedes team assures that it will work “actively” with this commission to build a “better” Formula 1 for each team and each fan. On the other hand, in the same statement, they congratulated Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing for their victory. “We would like to express our sincere respect for his achievements this season. Max , you made this title fight truly epic. We congratulate you and your entire team . We hope to face each other on the track next season, “they said.
They were also proud of Hamilton and his team’s performance. “Lewis, you are the best driver in the history of Formula 1 and you have squeezed every lap of this incredible season. You are an impeccable athlete on and off the court and delivered an impeccable performance. As a pure competitor and role model for millions of people around the world, we celebrate it, “they noted.
