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The regulatory body for F1, the FIA, has outlined its next steps with regards to its inquiry into the controversial events of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021. The new FIA president is personally looking into the matter to ensure the future reputation of the sport remains intact.
The FIA statement highlights the inquiry schedule regarding the finale in Abu Dhabi. The Sporting Advisory Committee will discuss the deployment of the now-infamous safety car on January 19 as a part of its agenda for the day. Following the meeting will be a shared discussion between all F1 drivers and the FIA.
Since the subject is a sensitive one, with future implications for the sport, the FIA has decided that the final outcome will come out on March 18, ahead of the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix.
FIA's Sporting Advisory Committee to resolve the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP conundrum by March
Many fans have already criticized the FIA for the time span they have allotted themselves for the matter, with several Twitter members believing the matter should be resolved before March.
The main subject of discussion is race director Michael Masi's deployment of the safety car at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which led to Max Verstappen's victory over Lewis Hamilton in a strange and allegedly 'unfair' manner.
Fans and teams alike believe Masi didn't stick to regulations, allowing some cars to unlap the safety car at the last moment. BBC sport claims that several F1 seniors believe Michael Masi will lose his job to this horrific mismanagement.
F1 president confident of F1 driver's return in 2022
Despite a devastating loss to Max Verstappen, FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem is confident that Lewis Hamilton will return to the sport in 2022. Hamilton has been silent since his loss and has even unfollowed everybody on his Instagram profile.
Mohammed ben Sulayem was elected president of the FIA after Jean Todt's term came to an end in mid-December 2021. The former rally driver claims he is confident Hamilton will return to the grid in 2022 and will compete once again for a record-breaking eighth title win in the sport. He said:
“I am confident, very confident, that there will be, it [Lewis Hamilton] is a fundamental part of our sport.”
Sulayem was all set to penalize the Briton for failing to show at the FIA prize-giving gala in December. The top three drivers of the year are required to be present. However, the former rally driver clarified that he didn't want to arrive at a conclusion without investigating properly and speaking to Hamilton himself. He said:
“I just sent him [Lewis Hamilton] a message, I don't think he’s 100% ready to talk about what happened yet, I understand his position. It is not a question of punishing a rider or a team, but of enforcing the rules, but I don’t want to make a decision without having studied the facts in-depth.”
While it is highly unlikely that the FIA will change the result of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a thorough investigation into the matter could uphold the integrity of the sport in the eyes of drivers and fans alike.
