FIA Breaks Own Rules For Viewer Ratings - Off To Court

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Crowned World Champion today but all still up in the air as it could be reversed. I just feel bad for Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton as this is not how a title should be decided.

Winning the race on the track without the racing stewards involved is what every Formula One racing fan wanted to see. What we got was a drama filled last five minutes full of controversy with Mercedes lodging 2 appeals which they are technically correct on. How can the FIA take the trophy away from Verstappen when they were the ones who messed up? The race turned into a farce as not sticking to the written rules created total confusion robbing Hamilton and Mercedes of victory.

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The one title that is official is the Constructors title for Mercedes with 8 in a row.

When Liberty Media took over the Formula One sport they wanted to boost ratings and at the same time have created chaos. The FIA broke their own rules today to make sure they had the last lap of racing. The restarting of the race is the biggest question mark as this was not followed correctly. The FIA rightly finds themselves in the firing line due to irregular decisions being made.

These are the regulations that are now being questioned.

QuoteArticle 48.12 states that: “If the clerk of the course considers it safe to do so, and the message “LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE” has been sent to all Competitors via the official messaging system, any cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car.

“This will only apply to cars that were lapped at the time they crossed the Line at the end of the lap during which they crossed the first Safety Car line for the second time after the safety car was deployed. Having overtaken the cars on the lead lap and the safety car these cars should then proceed around the track at an appropriate speed, without overtaking, and make every effort to take up position at the back of the line of cars behind the safety car.

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In todays race this never happened as only the 5 cars in between Hamilton and Verstappen were allowed to unlap themselves. If all cars were allowed through then the race would have ended under a safety car. The FIA race director Michael Massi wanted to finish the race with the cars racing and has shot themselves in the foot. Exactly what we didn't want to see they have done by making the stewards have to decide the result.


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Max is slightly ahead but this is not the big disagreement and is minor compared to the first appeal and expect nothing to happen.

The other appeal is article 48.8 which is Max's own fault if found in breach.

Article 48.8 states: “With the exception of the cases listed under a) to h) below, no driver may overtake another car on the track, including the safety car, until he passes the Line (see Article 5.3) for the first time after the safety car has returned to the pits.

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Max somehow got his nose ahead of Hamilton behind the safety car which if rules are applied means a minimum of a 5 second penalty. Max is too cocky and has put himself and team at risk by doing this which is incredibly dumb.

I do feel Mercedes have a strong case with regulation 48.12 which then changes the overall result reverting back to the driver classifications prior to the safety car. Mercedes have every right to be fighting their case as they would have changed tyres as well if they knew only 5 cars would be allowed through as that is not how the rules work. This race today would have finished under safety car rules and that is not what the fans wanted to see, but those are the rules. This was all about the bigger picture of the sport and not about the sport itself which has cheapened the result. Ratings influenced decisions instead of the integrity of the sport.

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As expected both appeals dismissed by the FIA and now this will start to get ugly as the problem is actually manifesting itself into something far more serious for the FIA.

The FIA screwed up and the only way out is for Michael Massi to step down admitting his errors as what happened today was wrong in every sense. Question marks over the last 3 races has dominated the sport instead of what happened on the track.

If this goes to the Court Arbitration For Sport then the FIA are in trouble as they broke their own rules and would lose hands down. This is a sad ending to a great season and only see one outcome. Crazy to think an organisation such as the FIA cannot run things correctly and fairly.



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Well, the only loser here is the FIA, for me Hamilton and Verstappen are in the history books forever. Even though I am sure that if you switch cars, Verstappen was already champion 5or 6 races ago… So, in my opinion, he deserves it!

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Yes and no as if you go by the rules the sport is governed by then the race would have finished under a safety car. This will go to the courts in Zurich next and a ruling will decide the outcome of the season. I wouldn't like to be part of the FIA as how they are going to mount a defence is beyond me. Imagine changing the rules on something so important turning the outcome on it's head. Max should never have been in this position as he should have already won the title. This is not the outcome you would want to win the title on and I feel sorry for him as it has question marks all over it. let us wait and see a sI expect this to be reversed still at CAS.

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It was a mad ending. When the safety car is out, being in first place is a real disadvantage.

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Shouldn't have been if rules had been applied as safety car still had to do one more lap before coming in as per regulations. They changed it to make a last lap race which was a bit unfair and seriously wrong as they are the ones who made the rules in the first place. This is far from over.

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Well seems like I have to watch it on youtube 😅 Did not follow the F1, but that seems interesting 🤗

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Total farce and as I mentioned to you elsewhere, I can't see anything changing. The 5 second penalty's an interesting point but... if Mercedes successfully appeal this one and Max gets a penalty, I suspect there'll be a counter appeal for the initial clash at turn 9. Which will probably prompt another appeal for something else that happened. Do you know what the longest period between a race ending and a penalty being applied is? I think it took them a couple of days to give Max his pointless 10 second penalty after Saudi Arabia.

How can the FIA take the trophy away from Verstappen when they were the ones who messed up?

Thinking about this further, it could be compared to a referee making a mistake in a cup final. The players and team aren't to blame, everybody's up in arms over the injustice of it all and the result is never changed after the event. The justification of "it all evens itself out over the course of the sesaon" is often spouted (which we know isn't true).

Question marks over the last 3 races has dominated the sport instead of what happened on the track.

Like you say, they got the drama they wanted. The controversy. The viewing figures. Is this what the future of F1 looks like under Liberty Media's leadership? It's exciting - I'll give them that!

Imagine changing the rules on something so important turning the outcome on it's head.

A total embarrassment and it'll take a long time to come to terms with it. I can't imagine what those within the Mercedes factory are feeling. The Hamilton's took it remarkably well (on camera).

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They have 4 days to lodge an appeal which they have already done. Yes the Championship can be taken away still so nothing is final as yet. The Court of Arbitration for Sports is the final deciding factor for Mercedes which if it goes this far will not be good for the FIA or Verstappen and Red Bull. When something is so blatantly wrong this needs to be sorted out. The FIA have breached their own regulations and could lose teams now because of this. What is stopping them from screwing someone else over next year so this is what is of more concern to all teams. There is no way the FIA are walking off with this decision as it stands as Mercedes will fight on principle.

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Wow. When you put it like that, it really doesn't make for easy reading (not that it did anyway!) I don't know enough about The Court of Arbitration for Sports or the power that they hold to understand if they have the power to change a sports' result or just to issue a fine...?

The FIA have breached their own regulations and could lose teams now because of this.

The cynic in me says that they'll just increase the prize money. More viewers, more sponsorship, more money, bigger prizes...

You've already said it - it's such a shame this is the focus of attention. I'm looking forward to talking about the 2022 changes and how we should see much closer action without "the dirty air".

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Got to say even as someone who doesn't watch a lot of F1 that did feel very contrived.

I was watching with friends and family and we all thought that Verstappen had no chance. Either the race was going to end behind the safety car or otherwise he'd not have time to pass the back markers and get near Hamilton. Then bang, it's a 1 lap race and he had the better tires...

I thought credit to Hamilton. He must have been seething but came and gave a professional post race interview.

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Sometimes we expect a lot from those who keep balance all the time, and we get disappointed when they can't anymore. This has its good and bad side. However, when manipulation seeds in, anything can become chaotic. So, I feel this is what happened to FIA.

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