P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Court decision shows Mercedes would have lost 2021 Abu Dhabi F1 appeal
The decision by the FIA’s International Court of Appeal in the International GT Open event at Spielberg in September set a precedent for the case that would have occurred if Mercedes had appealed after the Abu Dhabi race. In the season finale, race director Michael Masi made a mistake by not following established protocols after a safety car period. Max Verstappen capitalized on this by overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the final lap and winning the world championship. Mercedes lodged protests claiming that Verstappen overtook Hamilton under the safety car and that Masi did not comply with regulations. Both protests were dismissed and Mercedes had the option to appeal within 96 hours, but ultimately decided not to proceed. Instead, they will work with the FIA’s commission to review the events and create clarity for future races.
