Source: Mercedes F1 Twitter
Sebastian Vettel says the result of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is “a shame for Hamilton”, as he explains he “didn’t stand a chance with his tyres”.
During the late Safety Car period at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FIA race director Michael Masi broke Safety Car rules and protocols and created a situation that basically handed the race win and the world title to Max Verstappen.
More specifically in the penultimate lap of the race, under the Safety Car, Masi made a last minute decision to allow some of the lapped cars to un-lap themselves, while others were not allowed to do so.
The lapped cars in question were the ones between Hamilton and Verstappen, while those behind Verstappen were not allowed to pass.
He then restarted the race immediately, although under the rules, the Safety Car had to remain on track for one more lap, which means the race should have ended under the Safety Car.
Talking to Swiss newspaper Blick, Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel said the decisions by Masi were “strange”, and added that if race control wanted to restart the race, they should have started letting lapped cars through earlier.
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“The situation made a very strange impression,” the German said.
“The field behind the Safety Car should have been sorted out much earlier. I made the suggestion on the radio after the first lap [under the Safety Car].”
By making these decisions, Masi created a situation where Lewis was a ‘sitting duck’ on old hard tyres, while Max was directly behind him on fresh soft tyres. The decisions basically knowingly handed the championship to Verstappen.
Vettel agrees that Lewis did not stand a chance in that situation.
“I only saw the Dutch fans jump on the last lap. Then I knew: Max is in front. And Lewis didn’t stand a chance with his tyres.
“Well, they both would have deserved the title. It’s a shame for Hamilton, because he had a very strong second half of the season.
“Now I just congratulate both drivers,” concluded the four-time champion.
