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Mercedes officially congratulated Max Verstappen and his team for an ‘epic' title fight in 2021 following their withdrawal of appealing FIA stewards’ decision in the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP. The Silver Arrows team publicly praised the new world champion and look forward to fighting him in 2022.
Praising the new world champion in their team statement, Mercedes said:
“To Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing: we would like to express our sincere respect for your achievements this season. You made this Formula 1 Championship title fight truly epic. Max, we congratulate you and your entire team. We look forward to taking the fight to you on the track next season.”
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The Silver Arrows team has also conceded to FIA’s proposal of investigating the events of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix along with F1, and working to improve governance in the sport. They welcomed the proposal to have drivers and teams give their input to make changes to the regulations before the 2022 season.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had congratulated Max Verstappen in private following the rejection of the team’s protests in Abu Dhabi, while Lewis Hamilton had congratulated him in public during the podium ceremony itself. As it stands, the Dutchman will be declared world champion at the FIA Annual Prize Giving Gala in Paris.
Mercedes did not display their cars at the FIA Prize Annual Giving photoshoot
Mercedes withdrew their title-winning Formula 1 and Formula E cars from the FIA Annual Prize Giving photoshoot. The Silver Arrows team, who have secured their eighth title in the Constructor’s championship in F1 and their first title in Formula E, had withdrawn both cars from the shoot in Paris.
Initial reports suggested that the team might be absent from the prize-giving ceremony, amidst speculation that the team is not over its unhappiness about how the governing body handled the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Team principal Toto Wolff has now confirmed that their chief technical officer James Allison will be representing the team at the gala. Wolff and 2021 title contender Lewis Hamilton, however, will be giving the event a miss, with the former citing his loyalty to Hamilton and his personal integrity as the reason behind this decision.
