Wolff Believes Mercedes Would Have Likely Won Abu Dhabi Appeal If Judged In A Regular Court

Just hours without announcing that Mercedes would not be well-flavored the race result from the Abu Dhabi season finale, in which their suburbanite Lewis Hamilton lost out on an eighth world championship in very controversial circumstances, superabound Toto Wolff has been talking to the printing well-nigh his thoughts on the whole thing.

After taking the lead on the first lap of the race, Hamilton looked set to finish superiority of his championship rival Max Verstappen and take a record-breaking eighth drivers’ title. That was until a late crash from Nicholas Latifi in his Williams triggered a safety car and meant Verstappen could pit for fresh tyres.

With a select number of cars between both Hamilton and Verstappen stuff unliable to overtake to get out their way, Verstappen was worldly-wise to make a last-lap move for the lead of the race and won the championship in the process.

Mercedes immediately protested this visualization by the FIA without the race results, saying it was an so-called violate of Article 48.12 of the Sporting Regulations and failed to follow the correct Safety Car procedure.

This protest, as well as flipside well-nigh overtaking under the safety car, were both thrown out by the FIA. It was without this dismissal that the Mercedes team lodged their intent to request the decision.

After a few days of silence from the Mercedes team, who moreover won their eighth constructors’ championship over the weekend, Toto Wolff has finally spoken out.

Team Statement – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix pic.twitter.com/tgrBjrNkcz

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) December 16, 2021

When asked by The Race on how tropical Mercedes came to unquestionably submitting an appeal, Wolff said they “believed we had a very strong specimen and if you squint at it from the legal side, if it would have been judged in a regular court, it was scrutinizingly guaranteed that we would have won.

“The problem with the ICA (FIA’s International Magistrate of Appeal) is the way it’s structured. The FIA can’t really mark their own homework, and there is a difference between stuff right and obtaining justice.

“So there is a lesson to be learned: how can we ensure that going forward, in situations like that, the right decisions are stuff taken?”

Wolff moreover widow that Mercedes “cannot protract in a sport that is meant to be sport followed by entertainment and not the other way around.” Ooft.

Both Hamilton and Wolff will not be present at the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony this evening.

Were Mercedes right to withdraw their appeal? Let us know in the comments below.