A Controversial End to An Exciting Season

Sports news in the coming weeks will certainly be lit up with news around the Formula 1 finale in Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina circuit as one of the most hyped events going into the final as both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were tied on points with the race deciding not only the drivers champion, but also the constructors champ too. It was a fun night for punters though as many visit puntersport.com for some of the biggest options, with some feeling robbed and others comfortable with the outcome, but it does set a precedent for something that needs to change in the sport.

Whilst Mercedes have launched a few protests around the results and the potential to appeal the overturned decision from the stewards, it doesn’t look as if they’d want to go after the title which will firmly rest in the arms of Verstappen, but instead to go after the FIA and race director Michael Masi for the decisions that were made towards the end of the race. Given it’s still something so fresh, new information will continue to come to light in the coming weeks, images have already started to emerge showing the safety car being called in before the track was issued clear, although in likelihood a message came through the radio for confirmation ahead of time – logging and communication issues will always be something for bigger events – although does provide some clear evidence that the crux of the issue, the unlapped cars, could not have been cleared sooner because of the timestamps.

It’s a difficult situation all round, the terrific performances strung together throughout the season certainly have made Verstappen a worthy champion this year and even fans in the other camps should be able to agree that’s the case, much in the same way that Hamilton drove incredibly well on the night of the final and in any other situation would’ve been the clear winner – the night sums up the inconsistencies from the rule makers throughout the year leading to changing expectations from race to race, and uncertainty from the teams and drivers alike about what’s really to expect.

There is some time to sort the issues out, at least, with a few months before the 2022 season gets underway many are expecting to see some big changes, either with the staffing or with the rule book itself in order to avoid the same from happening in the future, and ensuring more clarity and less uncertainty will be key – with it already being confirmed the radio messages between teams and race control will no longer be broadcast too, fans won’t be as privy to some of the information as they were this year.