ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Mercedes ended the dispute over the Formula One season finale today when it withdrew its appeal of the controversial finish that cost Lewis Hamilton a record eighth championship. Mercedes had filed a pair of protests following Sunday’s race, in which a late crash at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix helped Max Verstappen beat Hamilton for the title. Both protests were dismissed and Mercedes then asked for reconsideration at the International Court of Appeal, a process that could have dragged into next year. “We left Abu Dhabi in disbelief of what we had just witnessed,” Mercedes said in a statement. “Of course, it’s part of the game to lose a race, but it’s something different when you lose faith in racing.” Mercedes was protesting the use of the safety car following a crash with five laps remaining. Hamilton had a nearly 12-second lead with Verstappen in second when the crash brought out the yellow flag. Verstappen pitted for fresh tires while Hamilton stayed on track. The race director initially said lapped drivers could not pass the safety car, then reversed the call in a decision that returned Verstappen to second when the race resumed with a lap remaining. Verstappen then passed Hamilton to win his first world championship; Hamilton was denied a record eighth title, one more than Michael Schumacher. Mercedes said Thursday, ahead of the season-ending gala in Paris later in the evening, that it decided with Hamilton not to move forward with the appeal. Its protest was over safety car rules that “were applied in a new way that affected the race result, after Lewis had been in a commanding lead and on course to win (the championship)” and Mercedes said its appeal was “in the interest of sporting fairness.” Mercedes said it was satisfied after discussions with both the FIA and Formula One over clarity on the rules “so that all competitors know the rules under which they are racing, and how they will be enforced.”
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Mercedes ended the dispute over the Formula One season finale today when it withdrew its appeal of the controversial finish that cost Lewis Hamilton a record eighth championship.
