[imagesource:  Reuters / Hamad I Mohammed]

With Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton tied on points heading into this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the stage was set for a dramatic finale.

Other than a controversial first lap, with Hamilton overtaking Verstappen and then leaving the track on the seventh corner due to what Mercedes called “evasive action”, it appeared the ending would fizzle out.

Hamilton had a comfortable lead with five laps to go and was cruising to victory when Williams’ Nicholas Latifi crashed.

The safety car came out and Verstappen popped in for a tyre change. Out of nowhere, the race turned into a single-lap shootout with the Dutchman breathing down the British driver’s neck.

The reigning world champion couldn’t hold off Verstappen and just like that, in the most dramatic of circumstances, the Red Bull driver claimed victory and his first world championship title.

That extraordinary final lap of the 2021 title race in full 😮#AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/kknTMDfpAF

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 12, 2021

Whether or not you think the FIA’s race director Michael Masi totally butchered the situation depends largely on which driver you support, at least according to the reactions on social media.

I won’t unpack all of that drama – any F1 fan is up to speed – but let’s recap why the drama might not yet be done.

This from Motorsport:

Mercedes filed two protests with the FIA stewards at the Yas Marina Circuit over the race restart after Max Verstappen passed Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the race to win the world championship.

The stewards dismissed both protests, including one of the resumption of the race with one lap remaining, but Mercedes has confirmed it has lodged its intention to appeal the decision.

Confirmation came via social media:

pic.twitter.com/uV83r7a2oZ

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) December 12, 2021

Mercedes now has four days (from last night’s announcement) to decide if it will formally lodge an appeal with the FIA’s International Court of Appeal.

That appeal would likely be convened either in Paris or remotely.

A few remarks…

Nicholas Latifi can be certain he’ll be gifted a lifetime supply of Red Bull for his inadvertent part in changing the direction of the title.

Lewis Hamilton deserves immense credit for the grace he showed immediately following the race.

Max Verstappen had one hell of a season and he cannot be blamed for the ruling by Massi which opened the door for his win.

The makers of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series couldn’t have scripted a more dramatic ending.

Keep an eye out for the next season of that one.

[source:motorsport]