Sebastian Vettel weighed in on the controversy between Mercedes and The FIA race director Michael Masi after the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021
As he stepped out for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021, Lewis Hamilton knew a win would see him register a record eighth drivers’ championship title.
And he got underway to pulling it off as well as he overtook Verstappen in lap one before taking a sizable lead on his opponent. However, things soon unraveled for the Brit on the night as Nicholas Latifi crashed into the barriers with just five laps to go, an accident which saw the safety car being deployed.
FIA Race Director Michael Masi Finds Support In Sebastian Vettel As Mercedes Decide Not To Appeal
What ensured was utter and raw confusion with The FIA race director, Michael Masi first claiming that cars wouldn’t be allowed to overtake once the race restarted. However, he soon went back on his words with him allowing the lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves but not those between the Dutchman and Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.
The decision lead to Verstappen who was now on fresh soft tyres easing ahead of Hamilton to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. A brouhaha erupted soon afterwards with ardent viewers of the race hitting out at Masi for his puzzling decision making and refusal to play by the book.
While Mercedes went onto lodge a protest, it was dismissed by the stewards who cited article 15.3 to clobber the double protest. Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel has now leapt to Masi’s defence with him talking about the set of events after finishing the Abu Dhabi GP in 11th and 12th overall in the drivers’ championship.
“Everyone has an opinion, I think leave the stewards alone, it’s tough enough as it is.
“Ideally we’d like more consistency but there’s also a human side, so it’s probably difficult to get it 100 per cent right, but it has to be our target, so we need to see what we can improve.
“But I don’t think it has been any better or any worse than the past, with the exception of the fines for reprimands, in terms of cash, that’s just unnecessary.
“I think it looks stupid to ask for 10,000, 15,000, 25,000… I would like to see the receipt what happens with the money,” Vettel said when asked to opine on The FIA’s move.