Why was the definition of the Formula 1 championship so controversial?

(CNN) – This Sunday, Max Verstappen claimed his first Formula 1 championship by beating Lewis Hamilton in a controversial season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Verstappen was declared champion, but only after both teams spent hours in the stewards’ box, after Hamilton’s Mercedes team filed two protests against the result, which were dismissed by officials.

Mercedes presented on Sunday its intention to appeal the decision regarding the resumption of the race on the last lap, which could open the way to more drama in the coming weeks.

Mercedes said Monday that “there is no other communication planned at this time” regarding with your intention to appeal Sunday’s result.

What happened during the race?

The two titanic Formula 1 rivals this season arrived at the Yas Marina circuit tied on points.

Verstappen took the early lead by qualifying in first position after a magical qualifying lap on Saturday, but it was Hamilton who started the race best from second position, beating Verstappen before turn one and dominating most of the Grand Prix. with the rhythm of Mercedes.

There was controversy from the start, as there has been throughout the season, as Red Bull insists that Hamilton should have returned his top spot to Verstappen after the Mercedes driver left the track following contact with his rival.

The stewards, however, decided not to investigate the incident and allowed Hamilton to continue in first position.

Red Bull then resorted to its plan B, with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez deftly holding Hamilton after the Mercedes driver came out of the pits in second position.

The Brit finally found a way to beat Red Bull’s racing car, but not until Verstappen was on his heels.

But Hamilton seemed to have done enough, building a double-digit lead, and was heading for victory before the chaos of the final lap.

The drama escalated when Williams Racing driver Nicholas Latifi crashed into the barriers with four laps remaining, causing the safety car to exit.

While the Mercedes team decided they could not afford to pit Hamilton in case he lost the lead, Red Bull did opt to pit Verstappen and fitted him with a new set of soft tires. Verstappen re-entered the track with five cars, one lap behind him and Hamilton.

The controversy reached a fever pitch when a message from race director Michael Masi initially said that the lagging cars between Hamilton and Verstappen would not be allowed to pass, only for Masi to appear to change his mind moments later, leaving the driver behind. Red Bull just behind Hamilton on fresh tires and just one lap ahead. This meant that the race was restarted on the final lap, with Verstappen now cleared to start almost alongside Hamilton, even though the Briton had established a healthy lead.

The Dutchman, with new tires, had the pace necessary to overtake his rival at the fifth turn and win one of the most dramatic F1 races in history (and thus the Formula 1 title).

A controversial victory in Formula 1

Verstappen’s victory prevented Hamilton from breaking the Formula 1 record he still shares with motorsport legend Michael Schumacher.

Although Hamilton offered his congratulations to Verstappen, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was visibly furious after the Dutchman’s victory.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner called Mercedes’ early appeals “a bit desperate.”

Social networks were filled with angry reactions at the result of the race. George russell, Mercedes driver next year, said: “Max is an absolutely fantastic driver who has had an incredible season and I have nothing but enormous respect for him, but what just happened is absolutely unacceptable. I can’t believe what we just ended up with. to see “.

The former Formula 1 champion Damon Hill questioned the way the race was run, writing: “This is a new way of running the sport in which the race director can make these decisions. ad hoc. It’s been a little too much ‘guess what I’m going to do now’ I think. “

For his part, the captain of the English team, Harry kane, as well as Piers Morgan and the football commentator Gary lineker are some of the celebrities who have shown their disagreement with the final result on social networks.

However, the Liverpool FC footballer, Virgil van Dijk, was among those who congratulated Verstappen, writing: “WHAT A BOSS!”

“It’s crazy. I don’t know what to say. I’m very happy for the team and all these guys. I enjoy working with them so much,” an excited and slightly dazed 24-year-old Verstappen said after the race.

“Finally, today I have had a bit of luck. My team knows that I love them and that I want to do this with them for the next 10 or 15 years,” he added.

With information from CNN’s Amanda Davies and Matt Foster.