Ferrari boss demands clarity in rules citing Max Verstappen's first title win

Ferrari chairman John Elkann said that he wanted more clarity on the rules which were subject to Max Verstappen's controversial first title win in the sport heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

The Red Bull driver secured his maiden title in Abu Dhabi 2021 in one of the most controversial finishes in the sport's history. The then-race director Michael Masi implemented the regulations in such a way that it disadvantaged Lewis Hamilton, who was leading from Verstappen on the final lap.

Speaking with BBC, Ferrari's chairman asked for clarity as the Italian team fears that they might face the same fate in Abu Dhabi with just four points between them and Mercedes for P2. Elkann said:

"On one side, there are a lot of changes in how the evolution of technologies happens, the importance of being carbon-neutral. Within that, being able to define clarity on rules and applications is important."

He continued:

"You don't want things to happen like the 2021 championship, how that ended up. You don't want to have situations like the ones here in Vegas, where you get penalized 10 places [through no fault of your own, referring to Carlos Sainz's penalty]."

"So from the regulatory standpoint in terms of rules and applications and what we have seen with the budget caps, those are areas where you'd like to have more clarity."

Ferrari team boss reflects on the battle with Mercedes heading into Abu Dhabi

Ferrari F1 team principal Frederic Vasseur feels that they were in a good position to get P2 in the championship from Mercedes as they had momentum on their side.

Vassuer cited to Motorsport.com:

“If you consider that we were 60 points behind them a couple of races ago, we are on a good path. But Abu Dhabi will be another story, four points are nothing or a lot."

"And again we were able to perform in Monza, Singapore, in Mexico this weekend on different tracks with different weather conditions, and different compounds, and we can be more than motivated before Abu Dhabi. The momentum is for us, and let's see what happens."

It will be fascinating to see if Ferrari can really challenge Mercedes in the final race in Abu Dhabi this weekend as the track layout will definitely suit their SF23. They need to capitalize on every single opportunity presented at the weekend to overhaul the margin and take P2 in the constructors' championship for the second year running.