The controversial end to the 2021 Formula 1 season is raging on, with Mercedes intending to appeal the decision following their initial complaint being declined by the governing body the FiA.
Fans of both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have been discussing the controversial call by Race Director Michael Masi, that allowed Verstappen to overtake the Brit on the last lap to win the race and ultimately, the championship.
What transpired during the race was certainly one to remember, and if you want to read more about the race itself check out Park Life Sports summary below.
Fans have been divided over the results of the race, with some in favour of the decision made by the FiA, but many disagreed with the outcome, believing the officials decided to cave into the theatricality of the season ender.
F1 Journalist Helen Crossley was among those who believed this to be the case, suggesting the sport was potentially losing its credibility following such a result.
However, not everyone disagreed with the result. F1 fan Abdulla Zahid was in attendance for Sunday’s race, and was in support for the difficult decision made by the officials.
“Even as a fan of Mercedes, I was all for the decision on the last lap. My position is that the race director Masi said it quite well “”It’s called motor racing”” and to me, that was the only decision to be made. These things always come down to the wire and this definitely came down to the wire. As a fan, it was the best ending we could have hoped for.”
Not all of the responses to the situation were so serious however, with some seeing the lighter side, suggesting that Mercedes Head Chief Toto Wolff may have some stronger words for Michael Masi the next time they meet.
Williams driver Nicholas Latifi’s crash at the end of lap 64 brought out the safety car which led to Verstappen’s eventual overtake of Hamilton, and it’s fair to say the Canadian will be remembered fondly by those at Red Bull.
Considering that Williams receive their engines from Mercedes, and their over driver George Russell is leaving to join Mercedes next season, we imagine neither will be too keen for any celebrations tonight.
Speaking of Russell, he had his own quite eventful race before the last lap incident. He retired earlier in the race with engine issues, before returning to see what unfolded.
The soon to be Mercedes driver was certainly unhappy with the decision immediately after the race, which will be surely appreciated by his future team.
What did you think of the decisions made by the FiA? Did Hamilton deserve to win the championship? Or was the result correct? Let us know on our Twitter and stay up to date with the latest sporting news via our Live Blog below.
