‘This is unacceptable’: Why F1 world is outraged about title ‘disgrace’

An Aussie is caught in the middle of the biggest F1 controversy in years as fans complained about a chaotic end to the season.

The F1 world can't believe how the title was decided. Photo: Getty Images/Twitter.

The controversial finish to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has sent shockwaves through F1 as Max Verstappen dethroned Lewis Hamilton and claimed his maiden world championship.

Level on points going into the final race of the season, Hamilton had led his rival since the opening lap and looked set to score a record-breaking eighth world title, but a safety car deployed with just laps to spare erased the lead the Brit worked so hard to build.

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Despite Verstappen running in second, he still had a number of cars that had been lapped ahead of him on the track, which just about quashed any hopes he had of winning the race. But a controversial decision from race director Michael Masi — an Australian who was born in Sydney — saw the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen instructed to overtake the safety car, which meant the frontrunners were given clear air to fight each other for the win.

A final racing lap was the opening Verstappen, who was on fresher tyres than Hamilton, needed as he zoomed past the veteran not long after the race restarted to finish in first place at the Yas Marina Circuit.

While the finish may have been edge-of-your-seat stuff for sport fans, the decision to clear the pack and allow Verstappen and Hamilton to have a straight shootout was slammed.

Mercedes were furious once the decision was made, as team principal Toto Wolff vented his fury to Michael Masi, who made the crucial calls that allowed Verstappen to win.

“This is not right!” Wolff said during a furious radio exchange.

Max Verstappen produced the most spectacular of finishes to win his maiden driver’s championship. Picture: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

‘Disgrace to our whole sport’: World reacts to utter chaos

F1 fans were divided on the matter. Some sided with the Silver Arrows boss while others took delight in Verstappen making history as the first Dutch world champion.

Hamilton’s brother Nicolas lashed out on Instagram. “THE TRUE CHAMPION!” he captioned a photo of Hamilton.

“The FIA broke their own rules, which is a disgrace to our whole sport. Nevertheless, regardless of being mistreated today, the Hamilton’s were humble in defeat.”

Soon-to-be Mercedes driver George Russell took a strong stance, tweeting: “THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!! Max is an absolutely fantastic driver who has had an incredible season and I have nothing but huge respect for him, but what just happened is absolutely unacceptable. I cannot believe what we’ve just seen.”

After the race, Mercedes’ official Twitter account simply posted: “There are no words.”

No matter which driver fans were cheering for, almost everyone was bemused as to how Masi’s decision to finish the race was made. Some punters likened it to calling “next goal wins” no matter what the actual score is.

ITV presenter Matt Teale posted: “We need F1 rules in cricket sharpish. If Australia go 4-0 up, we’ll just level the scores and decide the Ashes on a super over.”

Tennis expert Bastien Fachan said: “Imagine you’re up 5-3 40-15 in the fifth set in a Grand Slam final when a random spectator comes and destroys the net — and then after it’s repaired, the umpire decides the match will be decided in a one-point shootout, with your opponent serving. That’s what just happened in F1.”

Talent agent Alex Segal wrote: “I clearly have no understanding of the rules of F1. What was the point of the other 57 laps.”

Sports reporter Andrew Gamble tweeted: “Michael Masi decided he didn’t want the greatest title battle in F1 to end on a safety car, which I’m all for as a neutral. He definitely bent the rules though.”

Comedian Trevor Noah said: “Terrible result for Lewis but great result for F1. Championship decided on the final race, everyone arguing about the rules online and a dramatic ending for the next season of Drive to Survive. Better to be a controversial sport than a boring one.”

British presenter Piers Morgan posted: “I don’t know what I’ve just watched but it can’t be right. Hamilton’s been robbed, surely?

Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson wrote: “Delighted with the result but the stewards need to be banned. We’ve had enough of them.”

Red Bull boss Christian Horner was obviously thrilled with the outcome, after declaring Verstappen would need some divine intervention to win before the safety car came out.

“Max has driven with heart, with passion, determination. He got a little bit lucky with the safety car tonight but he had to make it pay,” Horner said.

“We didn’t want it to end in the stewards’ room. But they have come to the right decision, we’re grateful.”

Aussie slammed for ‘shameful’ intervention

Motorsport writer Andrew Frankel was one of many who blasted Masi’s intervention.

“Michael Masi determined the outcome of this championship. He used his discretion to interpret the rules in a way they have never been interpreted before to create a restart from which there was only going to be one winner. That is not his job,” Frankel tweeted.

Radio announcer James Peterson wrote: “Michael Masi and the @fia are a disgrace to Formula 1 and @LewisHamilton was screwed out of his 8th championship.”

Former BBC editor Rifat Jawaid said: “This was #F1 sporting event not #ImACeleb reality show. It is shameful that #MichaelMasi and his supporters felt that 57 laps of racing wasn’t entertaining that they needed to do away with all rules for the last lap and convert an sporting finale into an utter joke.

“Glad that Mercedes have decided to fight it out and lodge their intention to appeal stewards’ decision. They should take this to logical conclusion. Max is a talented driver but #MichaelMasi messed it up completely.”

Stephen Miles added: “Look, @Max33Verstappen is a brilliant driver and a deserving champion but he didn’t win and wouldn’t have were it not for Michael Masi inventing rules. Shame on @F1 for creating this mess.”

Michael Masi (left) has come under heavy fire. (AAP Image/Michael Dodge)

Why is everybody up in arms?

Mercedes were furious only the five lapped cars between Verstappen and Hamilton were instructed to overtake the safety car, while the same order didn’t apply to others like Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll and Mick Schumacher.

It meant Verstappen could rejoin Hamilton at the front of the pack with one lap to go, giving him the perfect opportunity to overtake.

If Ricciardo, Stroll and Schumacher were also told to overtake the safety car, that would have taken longer and we may not have had one final lap of racing that ruined Hamilton’s championship dream.

“What Mercedes are upset about is that the other cars behind, so Ricciardo, Stroll and Schumacher, weren’t asked to pass,” Sky Sports F1 expert Karun Chandhok explained.

“So they’re saying, all the cars should have been allowed to pass, not just those (five).

“From an FIA standpoint, I think if they’d waited for those three cars, we would not have had the final lap of racing.”

Mercedes pointed to Article 48.12 of the FIA sporting regulations to make their case, as the article states “any cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car”.

The article also says “one the last lapped car has passed the leader the safety car will return to the pits at the end of the following lap”.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was furious at race director Michael Masi. Picture: FOX Sports

Mercedes was adamant if those rules were followed, then Hamilton would have won the race and his eighth world title.

As the final laps ticked away behind the lead of the safety car, it looked that the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen would be told to stay there, giving Hamilton a significant advantage.

But with little distance left on the penultimate lap, the call was made by race control to send Lando Norris, the two Alpines, Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel past the safety car — forcing a shootout between Hamilton and Verstappen.

Once the call had been made to allow the aforementioned five drivers to pass the safety car, Wolff was in total disbelief.

Speaking to Masi through his headset, the German bellowed: “You need to reinstate the lap before (57, where Hamilton led, as the finish). That’s not right.”

Masi responded: “Toto? It’s called a motor race, OK?”

Wolff kept complaining, before Masi doubled down, saying “We went car racing.”

Mercedes’ protests against the call from the race directors was dismissed, but the team confirmed via social media its intent to appeal the stewards’ verdict.

The Silver Arrows have 96 hours to decide if they want to launch a full-blown appeal to try and overturn the result.