Formula 1: 'Human error' responsible for incorrect application of rules in Abu Dhabi
- Published
Max Verstappen (right) won the title in 2021 with his last-lap overtake of Lewis Hamilton (left)
Formula 1's governing body has said "human error" was responsible for the incorrect application of rules in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The FIA said race director Michael Masi had acted in "good faith" during the controversial finale which saw Max Verstappen snatch the championship from Lewis Hamilton on the last lap.
Masi has since been removed from his post and F1 race control restructured.
The report ruled the result and the World Championship "valid and final".
The report is final confirmation that Red Bull's Max Verstappen was the 2021 F1 world champion - not that that was ever expected to be in doubt in the process.
The details
Published by the FIA 97 days after the race, the official report found a number of key errors were made.
Following a late-race crash for Williams' Nicholas Latifi a safety car was released to slow the field and let the track be cleared by marshals. This led to the single final racing lap on which the destiny of the world title changed hands from Lewis Hamilton to Verstappen. It concluded:
The race director "called the safety car back into the pit lane without it having completed an additional lap as required by the Formula 1 sporting regulations".
There "could be different interpretations" of the safety-car rules in the sporting regulations.
The decisions made by Masi "likely took into account previous discussions that made clear the F1 stakeholders' (FIA, F1, teams and drivers) preference to end races under green-flag racing conditions, rather than behind a safety car, when safe to do so.
Human error led to the fact that not all cars were allowed to un-lap themselves. From now on, the communication as to the cars that must un-lap themselves will be automated.
Direct communications to Masi from both Mercedes and Red Bull teams "had a negative impact on the smooth running of the final laps because they were distracting when the race director needed to focus on making difficult and time-pressured decisions".
'Football-style VAR' for F1 - the new measures
The FIA confirmed a number of measures taken to avoid the same errors happening again. These include:
The establishment of a remote operations centre at the FIA headquarters in Geneva to assist race control, in the manner of football's video assistant referee (VAR).
An extended team in race control to run trackside operations.
Direct communications from teams to the race director "should be removed to protect the race director from any pressure and allow him to make decisions peacefully".
Un-lapping procedures behind the safety car will be reassessed.
A new race-management team of two race directors - Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas - acting alternately and assisted by former deputy race director Herbie Blash, who has returned to FIA employment after retiring in 2016, to assist in race control as permanent senior adviser.
What was the pre-report reaction?
Before the report was published on Saturday, a number of team bosses and drivers said that it was time for F1 to "move on" from the events of Abu Dhabi.
Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff said earlier on Saturday: "We need to turn the page. It's in nobody's interests to continue the discussion about Abu Dhabi."
Hamilton, who lost a possible eighth world title in Abu Dhabi following Masi's errors, said on Friday: "It's important that, as a sport, we're transparent."
Hamilton said he was "looking forward to seeing [the report] come out and for people to know that this sport is transparent and we are learning from what's happened in the past and will make improvements moving forward".
What happened & how did it affect the race?
Hamilton had been leading the race in Abu Dhabi and in total control until the late safety car.
Masi made two key errors that potentially affected the outcome of the championship.
The decision to allow only the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to un-lap themselves gave the Dutchman a clear run at the Mercedes from the restart, but did not afford third-place Carlos Sainz's Ferrari a chance to attack Verstappen.
Had all lapped cars been left in place it would have been harder for Verstappen to get close to Hamilton so quickly.
And the decision not to allow the extra lap dictated by the rules following the order for cars to un-lap ensured the race did restart for one lap, when a strict reading of the rules as they were suggests it should not have restarted because the extra lap was the final lap.
Speaking after qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first race of the 2022 season, Wolff added: "It's a massive step change to what we've seen before.
"Whether it is complete or not, weak or hard, to release it is a good step forward in terms of governance for us there is the sentence that says human error and the acknowledgement of that is very important and now we close the chapter."
Hamilton on report
"I haven't seen it. I saw it had come out but I've not read it. I've been focused on getting the job done.
"I'll read it maybe after the weekend or something like that. I wasn't expecting an apology. We knew that probably wasn't going to happen, but at least there is that transparency that it's a human error.
"We can't go back and change the past. I look forward to focusing on the future and getting this car in the right window. We have a bit of work to do."
