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The 2021 F1 season ended on a controversial note. A last-minute call by racing director Michael Masi and the FIA put Lewis Hamilton at a disadvantage on the final restart. Title rival Max Verstappen was able to cash in on the situation and sealed up his first F1 Drivers' World Championship on the final lap.
Almost a month after the finale, the FIA released a statement stating that a "detailed analysis" is underway. The statement read:
"Following the decision to the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on 15 December 2021, the FIA administration, under the leadership of Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has started the detailed analysis of the events of the last F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix."
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The protest was raised by Mercedes in reaction to the racing director's decision to allow only a select few lapped cars to be waved around before the final restart. It ended up costing Hamilton any buffer he had against Verstappen.
The German team led by Totto Wolff argued that Masi did not apply Article 48.12 of the regulations, which 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 statement also mentioned that newly-elected FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has asked recently-appointed single-seater director Peter Bayer for proposals to review and optimize the FIA's organizational structure for 2022. Notably, it was missing Micheal Masi.
This triggered some interesting fan responses:
''Will not jump to conclusions," new FIA president promises F1 fans
Newly-elected FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem wants the full findings from the investigation to be presented before deciding on the best course of action. He said:
We will look into the rules and we are sure that, if any situation like this occurs in the future, we will have an instant solution for it. But I definitely will not just jump to a conclusion on decisions without going back to my team."
Sulayem also made it clear that F1 has room for improvement, and that it's not enough to "sit and say we are good." He has long-term experience in the sport, being the first Arab to be named FIA vice president and elected to the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
In June 2013, he was appointed chairman of the new Motor Sport Development Task Force. It was set up by the FIA to build a 10-year plan for the sport's global development. Following the 2021 F1 season, Ben Sulayem moved up to his new role as FIA head.
