2021 Formula One Season Ends In Controversy - Speedway Digest

When it comes to sporting climaxes, they will arguably be no greater than what was recently witnessed in Abu Dhabi and with the 2021 Formula One season ending, it was left for Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton to duke it out for championship honours.

It is not often that we are treated to a last race showdown, and it is incredibly rare to see two protagonists tied on points going into the final round. However, this was exactly the scenario we were treated to recently.

A scenario that played out in front of a massive global audience, from New York in the United States to Newcastle in the United Kingdom and when it looked as if Lewis Hamilton was to win a record eighth Drivers’ championship, the racing gods then smiled on his nearest rival.

With Hamilton on older tyres, it was left for Max Verstappen to reel him in and with the laps running out at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Red Bull pilot could not get close enough to the man who was seemingly cruising to victory.

That was until Nicolas Latifi met the barrier in his Williams and with the Safety Car then deployed, nobody was prepared for what was to happen in the final few laps of the 2021 Formula One Championship.

Because with a Safety Car procession taking place, there was an incredibly difficult decision for Race Director Michael Masi to make. On the one hand, he could let the lapped cars overtake the Safety Car, so that they could all be unlapped.

However, if this was to happen, it would mean that the race would finish in a virtual stalemate and for such a build-up, it would be a rather flat end to proceedings – especially after a considerable amount of hype.

Another option would have been to bring the Safety Car in and leave the lapped cars on track position, something that would have made life incredibly difficult for the chasing Max Verstappen in second.

What should not have been an option was Masi’s decision to only let a portion of unlapped cars through and in doing this, it went against standard Safety Car protocol, but it would at least mean that a racing finish could take place.

Which meant a single lap dash would decide the fate of the 2021 Drivers’ Championship and for those who bet in-play, picking a winner would be nothing different than the simple act of flipping a coin between Hamilton and Verstappen.

Those who consider themselves a part of the New York sports betting community, while also fans of Formula One could not have asked for anything more and as the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix unfolded, sparks were set to fly off the track.

As Max Verstappen produced a diving lunge on the inside of Lewis Hamilton, it was the Red Bull which was now in front and with the aforementioned fresher tyres on the car of the Dutchman, there was little his Mercedes nemesis could do.

Which meant it was a first Drivers’ Championship for the son of Jos Verstappen and although Mercedes made not one but two protests after the race, the result was declared as final, some four hours after the race.

Although it was jubilation in the Red Bull garage, there was despair in the Mercedes equivalent and although the latter showed no real anger towards the former, they certainly did towards Michael Masi.

Many will ask just why the Australian made the decision that he did and one of the accusations that has been put in his direction, is that he placed entertainment for the global television audience above sporting integrity.

Which for many is certainly the case and with the finish leaving a bitter taste in the mouth for not just Mercedes supporters but also fans of the sport as a whole, Formula One’s owners will have to work out what happens next.

Will Masi have to be the sacrificial lamb in all of this or does there need to be a team of staff to support him within the frenzied environment of a Grand Prix. Whatever the decision, there is no doubt that Max Verstappen is a worthy champion and the 2022 season cannot come soon enough.

(Courtesy of Fan Go Sports)

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.