Mercedes withdraw appeal on Max Verstappen F1 title protest decision

Mercedes have released a statement saying they will not be appealing the Abu Dhabi GP result further, following FIA’s statement to investigate the events of the final race.

According to the Brackley-based team, they prefer to work with F1 and FIA to ensure there is an analysis of the events to reach the needful conclusions.

Conceding to the results of the Abu Dhabi GP, the team’s statement said:

“We appealed in the interest of sporting fairness, and we have since been in a constructive dialogue with the FIA and Formula 1 to create clarity for the future, so that all competitors know the rules under which they are racing, and how they will be enforced.”

The Silver Arrows team will be working with the FIA and F1 henceforth as governance is improvised for the 2022 season and beyond. Shortly before the team put out a statement, the FIA and World Motorsport Council had agreed to work together to perform an analysis over the events of the Abu Dhabi GP and ensure the mistakes aren’t repeated.

Mercedes agree to work together with FIA and F1 to ensure better governance in the sport

Mercedes agreed to FIA’s proposal to probe and analyze the events throughout the final race and season, to ensure improved regulations for the 2022 season. In their team statement, they welcomed the proposal and stated their reasons for protesting the result in the interest of sporting fairness, where they believed the race result was affected by the Safety Car rules.

The reason we protested the race result on Sunday was because the Safety Car regulations were applied in a new way that affected the race result.

The reason we protested the race result on Sunday was because the Safety Car regulations were applied in a new way that affected the race result. https://t.co/x8Tq4bNhHU

On FIA’s proposal, the team statement said:

“We welcome the decision by the FIA to install a commission to thoroughly analyze what happened in Abu Dhabi and to improve the robustness of rules, governance, and decision making in Formula 1. We also welcome that they have invited the teams and drivers to take part.”

We appealed in the interest of sporting fairness, and we have since been in a constructive dialogue with the FIA and Formula 1 to create clarity for the future, so that all competitors know the rules under which they are racing, and how they will be enforced.

We appealed in the interest of sporting fairness, and we have since been in a constructive dialogue with the FIA and Formula 1 to create clarity for the future, so that all competitors know the rules under which they are racing, and how they will be enforced. https://t.co/SCdNuFPwIb

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Although Mercedes had shown intent to appeal the stewards’ decision at the Abu Dhabi GP further in court, they have withdrawn the need to do so after their statement today. With FIA Annual Prize Giving scheduled to be held in a few hours in Paris, which crowns Max Verstappen as world champion, Mercedes is ready to collect the constructors’ title trophies for both Formula 1 and Formula E championships.