Formula 1: Despite strong case, Mercedes' protest of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix officiating denied

Mercedes filed two unfruitful protests to the FIA about the procedures at the end of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was passed for the race win and the championship by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on the final lap after the race was restarted with one lap to go. The race finished under green after a safety car was deployed for Nicholas Latifi’s crash with less than five laps to go.

In its protest, Mercedes says that F1 officials did not follow rule 48.3 in the sporting regulations. And the team had a very good case on one of the protests, even if both were denied on Sunday afternoon.

After the denials, Mercedes said it would be appealing to the international court of appeals.

Hamilton was 11 seconds ahead of Verstappen at the time of the caution and had five lapped cars between him and his title rival. Verstappen pitted for fresh tires during the safety car because he could hit the pits without losing a spot. Hamilton stayed out because the race wasn’t guaranteed to restart and he could lost first to Verstappen.

Those five lapped cars remained between Hamilton and Verstappen during the safety car period and F1 had said that the cars could not pass Hamilton and get their lap back. Officials reversed course with less than two laps to go and said that the five cars between the two drivers could get their lap back. That allowed Verstappen to start right behind Hamilton and make a pass for the win on the final lap.

According to rule 48.3, “any cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car” when F1 officials give lapped cars permission to pass the leader. Only the five cars between Hamilton and Verstappen were allowed to get their lap back. The other lapped cars at the end of the field did not pass Hamilton (and Verstappen) before the race restarted.

Further, the rule also states that “unless the clerk of the course considers the presence of the safety car is still necessary, once the last lapped car has passed the leader the safety car will return to the pits at the end of the following lap.”

The last two words of that phrase are key. In its rush to get the race restarted, F1 waved the five cars between the two title contenders though on the same lap that the safety car entered the pits. Had the rule been followed as it is written, the race would not have restarted as the safety car would have entered the pits on the last lap of the race.

Mercedes also filed a protest regarding Verstappen's actions under rule 48.8, apparently accusing the Red Bull driver of passing Hamilton while the two drivers were still behind the safety car. That protest on much more specious grounds was also dismissed.

Hamilton had Verstappen easily beaten had the race gone green over the final five laps of the race. Hamilton had much older tires than Verstappen at the end of the race but Verstappen was unable to cut into the gap. Hamilton took the lead of the race on the race start after he got off the line ahead of Verstappen and wasn't passed on track for the lead until the final lap of the race.