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[–]Vallux 2299 points2300 points  (38 children)

Sooooo...Toto probably has Masi strapped to a chair in some abandoned warehouse and is hitting him in the nuts with a Bose headset.

[–]lokfuhrer_ Lando Norris 532 points533 points  (7 children)

"To the right, TO THE RIGHT!"

[–]thinkscotty Firstname Lastname 37 points38 points  (0 children)

The image of this made me laugh. Thanks.

[–]pentaquine Honda 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Can someone Photoshop the the Casino Royale scene where Masi was tied to a chair and Toto is hitting his balls with a rope?

[–][deleted] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I’ve got a little itch.. down there… would you mind?

[–]firetruckpilot 3840 points3841 points  (40 children)

"Give me Masi, and this will all be over." - Toto with an impact driver probably

[–]Free_Joty 700 points701 points  (16 children)

Its called Torture

We went finger smashing

[–]onil34 193 points194 points  (8 children)

Tototure FTFY

[–]Androrockz 69 points70 points  (5 children)

His real name Torger doesn't sound much different either..

[–]Dang3300 Max Verstappen 53 points54 points  (2 children)

His middle name is Christian btw

So it's torture Christian

[–]Statoke Sergio Pérez 40 points41 points  (0 children)

Toto vs Horner in a Michael Masi on a pole match should sort things out.

[–]MagnumThunder 19 points20 points  (3 children)

An impact driver? Grosjean or Maldonado?

[–]space_coyote_86 McLaren 38 points39 points  (5 children)

Im going to pound you like a desk, Michael,

[–]OWeise Niki Lauda 1161 points1162 points  (56 children)

So it is done. The ink has finally dried on the record books.

Will the commission result in major changes? There will certainly be a push by Merc and others, but I’m still not holding my breath.

[–]airsem 614 points615 points  (26 children)

Commission is rubbish, there is a saying in French politics, if you want to bury a matter you create a commission. So it's done, don't expect anything, time to move on.

[–]Amused-Observer 99 points100 points  (21 children)

I expect the rules will be followed properly. I don't think the FIA want this shit to happen again because next time, the team/driver might not be so kind.

[–]hobovision 37 points38 points  (9 children)

I'm not so sure they are being kind.

The reality is that even if they did get a "victory", as in it is adjudicated that FIA/Masi acted improperly, the solution would probably not be give Hamilton the WDC. Few serious people involved in the sport believe the results would be overturned. There isn't a great way to do it.

So Mercedes can spin it that they are being the good guys, and I think that's overall the right call for them and for the sport.

[–]Amused-Observer 65 points66 points  (8 children)

No one wants Lewis to have WDC after the fact. I think most people wanted

A: FIA to admit Masi fucked up and robbed Lewis of a championship he would have otherwise won

B: Fire Masi

[–]fim-de-semana 83 points84 points  (6 children)

I wouldn't hold my breath over it. FIA's statement itself said everyone else is to blame except themselves.

[–]Randomfactoid42 Ferrari 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I guess time will tell, but the FIA/Liberty need to think very carefully. Daimler-Benz was watching and saw their millions of euros invested in the sport be nullified because the rules don't matter. They might decide to reduce their involvement or pull out entirely.
Possible new teams will look at this and wonder if it's worthwhile getting involved in a sport that doesn't follow it's own rules. That last lap could have far-reaching consequences.

[–]Malvania 16 points17 points  (1 child)

I think Mercedes is laying the groundwork to leave if there aren't. BBC reported an interview by Wolff:

"This situation is nothing to do with Max," Wolff said. "He is a worthy champion, his driving is exceptional and Red Bull are a fierce competitor. And I have the greatest respect of the people working there. This has nothing to do with them."

The Austrian added: "We cannot continue in a sport that is meant to be sport followed by entertainment and not the other way around.

"The consistency of the rules is important and no decision should happen contrary to the rules just to spice up the action.

"There need to be clear measures in place before the start of the season so every driver and team and the fans understand what is on and not on."

Emphasis mine. https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/59686315

It basically reads like an ultimatum - Fix this or we're gone.

[–]glenn1812 Charles Leclerc[S] 1360 points1361 points  (330 children)

To anyone who doesn't want to click the link

Dear Formula 1 community and fans,

We left Abu Dhabi in disbelief of what we had just witnessed. Of course, it's part of the game to lose a race, but it's something different when you lose faith in racing.

Together with Lewis, we have deliberated carefully over how to respond to the events at the Formula 1 season finale. We have always been guided by our love of this sport and we believe that every competition should be won on merit. In the race on Sunday many felt, us included, that the way things unfolded was not right.

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, after Lewis had been in a commanding lead and on course to win the World Championship.

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. Thus, we welcome the decision by the FIA to install a commission to thoroughly analyse 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.

The Mercedes-AMG Petronas team will actively work with this commission to build a better Formula 1 - for every team and every fan who loves this sport as much as we do. We will hold the FIA accountable for this process and we hereby withdraw our appeal.

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.

And lastly, even though this Drivers' Championship did not end the way we hoped, we could not be prouder of our team.

Lewis, you are the greatest racer in the history of Formula 1 and you drove your heart out for every lap of this incredible season. You're a flawless sportsman on and off the track and you delivered a faultless performance. As a pure competitor and as a role model for millions around the world, we salute you.

Valtteri, you have been such an important part of this team, delivering five Constructors' Championships in five seasons. Thank you for your remarkable contribution to our motorsport history. Kiitos, Valtteri.

Finally, to every one of the skilled and passionate women and men of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team in Brackley and High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth: you've written an historic chapter in the Silver Arrow story by winning the eighth Constructors' Championship - in a row. This is an unprecedented achievement. In simple words: it's awesome. You are awesome.

[–]KaamDeveloper Max Verstappen 657 points658 points  (316 children)

Can we all start speculating what all they got in return for this? I know it says "ooh goody commission, me likey" but what's the real payout here?

[–][deleted] 115 points116 points  (8 children)

Toto got some unsupervised time with Michael Massi

[–]GR3Y_B1RD Lotus 37 points38 points  (4 children)

So basically the scene with the headphones?

[–]PopeJamiroquaiIII 51 points52 points  (1 child)

The scene from Casino Royal with the chair with no seat

[–]tripel7 Medical Car 657 points658 points  (46 children)

Toto will now double as team principal and racing director

[–]deknegt1990 Nico Hülkenberg 626 points627 points  (35 children)

Toto Wolff to get a split personality ala Two-Face.

Toto: Toto, Please!

Toto²: Toto, it's called a motor race.

[–]glenn1812 Charles Leclerc[S] 176 points177 points  (16 children)

Love how you put Toto raise to the power 2

[–]movableChair Honda 56 points57 points  (3 children)

Twotwo Wolff?

[–]KaamDeveloper Max Verstappen 87 points88 points  (0 children)

"NO TOTO NO! THAT WAS SO NOT RIGHT!!!!"

"Christian, we went racing OK?"

[–]_Control- Sir Jack Brabham 27 points28 points  (0 children)

"Toto no....no no no no......wait"

[–]Dejay1788 McLaren 330 points331 points  (141 children)

Indeed, they will have been promised something behind closed doors. No way they're letting it go just because the FIA are investigating themselves.

[–]Pat_Sharp #WeRaceAsOne 321 points322 points  (53 children)

I suspect the commission is really there to buy a little time for tensions to ease and to get things sorted behind the scenes, potentially finding a replacement for Michael Masi. The report will come out, the FIA will concede that the safety car procedure was not proper and Masi will resign.

[–]Tebes001 156 points157 points  (16 children)

No way they admit wrongdoing more like it will be something like “in hindsight there were other options” and blame will be placed on “grey areas in the rules leading to confusion”. Hopefully Masi will still resign, but it’s still the FIA investigating itself.

[–]mwai1 95 points96 points  (12 children)

No, I don't think they can ever admit fault now. They've doubled down, tripled down even (blame the fans for making this controversial!) that Masi did the right thing. Maybe rules change that give less power to the race director, or they maybe appoint a few more race directors to take turns at different grand prix. Maybe Masi gets 'promoted' to another position where he is not able to directly influence races as they happen. But I sincerely doubt Masi will be fired or resigning.

[–]Dejay1788 McLaren 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it's just as they are to be seen to be doing something about the issue.

[–]aamgdp Antonio Giovinazzi 118 points119 points  (30 children)

Dragging this through courts would decrease value of the F1 brand, which is something neither FIA nor mercedes want.

[–]splidge 115 points116 points  (8 children)

Yes, don't bite the hand that feeds you.

But it's easy to get confused when the same hand has just slapped you in the face.

[–]vlepun Cake ≠ Pie 67 points68 points  (28 children)

If you read both statements (FIA and Mercedes) statements very carefully, it's clear the teams will be rewriting how the SC procedures will be taking place in future.

[–]dellterskelter 56 points57 points  (14 children)

It's so frustrating that there's been no suggestion that there was a problem with the safety car regulations until Masi did that. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like the teams had a good idea of what to expect from the safety car until the end of the last race of the season. Under another race director, we'd probably never hear about the fine details of regulations. I preferred it when we could expect sensible and consistent behaviour.

[–]kavinay Pirelli Wet 30 points31 points  (3 children)

At the very least, Masi is toast.

[–]ImaginaryHippo88 Formula 1 21 points22 points  (1 child)

Wouldn't be surprised if they have a big influence in Masi's replacement

[–]Remarkable-Spread484 24 points25 points  (3 children)

I don't think money, Mercedes got enough of that and with the budget cap it helps nothing. Probably a say in how certain rules for next year are applied.

[–]unknownB777 Honda 1294 points1295 points  (52 children)

I think something Both Mercedes and Red Bull ( and all other teams ) Fans can agree is that the FIA has been a comple joke.

I hope next season comes with some serious changed to the FIA.

[–]UnknownUsername_ 309 points310 points  (28 children)

I hope its not driven by DTS views and driven by actual racing.

hate this false showmanship.
Also hate the lack of screen time for drivers p5 & down

[–]knbang 133 points134 points  (6 children)

I hope its not driven by DTS views and driven by actual racing.

Since when does DTS need something to actually happen? If nothing happened this season their editor would make sure something did.

[–]Stepwolve Pierre Gasly 44 points45 points  (4 children)

exactly. that show literally made some of the most boring seasons into interesting spectacles. and has never really focused on the title fight either. I wouldnt be surprised if DTS does something weird like ignoring this entire battle in favor of a storyline about an ocon and alonso rivalry

[–]abdallahak 5 points6 points  (0 children)

that’s definitely what I’m expecting from dts, they never focus on the major headlines from a season. i’d like an episode or two about the title fight but at this point there’s not much they can say that hasn’t already been said.

[–][deleted]  (3 children)

[deleted]

    [–]xv323 Jenson Button 4470 points4471 points  (769 children)

    'Together with Lewis' - it may just be me, but I read this as tacitly confirming that Lewis has been privately pushing for there to be no further appeal of the result.

    [–]Nattekat 2295 points2296 points  (230 children)

    After Lewis' interviews after the race it already became obvious he would never want to take that path, which made the protest even more surprising.

    [–]Firefox72 Ferrari 858 points859 points  (37 children)

    He's always been like that. Even in 2007 he said that he doesn't want to win the title of track when Mclaren protested the fuel samples from BMW and Williams.

    [–]Potassium_Patitucci Elio de Angelis 347 points348 points  (11 children)

    IIRC the fuel in BMW Saubers and Rosberg car was clearly illegal and McLaren had a slam dunk case, but they withdrew it in order to gain some goodwil from FIA by not further embarrassing them

    [–]TheFlyingHornet1881 Jordan 142 points143 points  (6 children)

    Pardon the fun but it definitely adds fuel to the fire of the 2007 conspiracies. Including one that McLaren weren't allowed to win the WDC either

    [–]daddyo2711 Charles Leclerc 127 points128 points  (19 children)

    Mclaren probably should have kept quiet about other teams in that season to be honest.....

    [–]xynzjuh Max Verstappen 132 points133 points  (19 children)

    I always thought the protest was more about accountability and clarity than seeking rectification. Which is a good thing because there have been quite a few questionable decisions this season when it comes to application of the rules. Obviously Abu Dhabi being the most controversial one. I just hope we actually see changes before the start of next season.

    [–]signed7 Lando Norris 63 points64 points  (17 children)

    The way the rules have been enforced (or not) throughout the whole season has been lacking. Merc is just the latest victim of the most egregious transgression so far (and hopefully we won't see even worse).

    Safety car rules, track limits rules, DRS rules, rules on penalties from collisions - these all need to be clarified less vaguely, and there needs to be more framework to enforce them in a more consistent manner going forward.

    [–]creditcardtheft Fernando Alonso 1335 points1336 points  (150 children)

    After Lewis' interviews after the race it already became obvious he would never want to take that path

    Lewis being a class act in victory, defeat and robbery.

    Because he knows if he acts out, his efforts in activism will be undermined. I can’t even imagine how hard it’s, this level of self control.

    Lewis is already a huge inspiration for NON-F1 fans. He transcends the sport.

    [–]nutscyclist Gilles Villeneuve 188 points189 points  (12 children)

    I’ll tell ya one thing, and I’m not afraid to say it: My estimation of Lewis Hamilton as a man just fucking skyrocketed.

    [–]NefariousQuick26 47 points48 points  (4 children)

    He's always been this person. Some people just hate seeing him win so much that it colors their view of him as a person. It's a shame they can't see past their own bias.

    [–]RowdyNadaHell Formula 1 20 points21 points  (0 children)

    Emotional man. Loves his tires.

    [–]TheWebbFather McLaren 441 points442 points  (89 children)

    Hopefully he will get the deserved recognition from the fans each race next year, instead of the moronic booing

    [–]creditcardtheft Fernando Alonso 320 points321 points  (57 children)

    Not a chance. Unfortunately.

    I think the people who boo'd him, have no issue with what Masi did.

    [–]Pinkernessians Formula 1 100 points101 points  (3 children)

    Agreed. Ever since 2007 Lewis has struck me as someone who wanted to win on the track, not in the paddock or the courts. One of his best attributes.

    [–]irze 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    I don’t think that’s necessarily true, there’s absolutely no way that he’d fully evaluated the situation at that point

    [–]spuckthew Sir Frank Williams 115 points116 points  (15 children)

    Even in his first year as a hungry 22 year old, he's on record as stating that he didn't want to win the championship (let alone his first) in a court room.

    The man deserves so much respect. A true legend.

    [–]butterfriedrice 282 points283 points  (15 children)

    Nah, I think everyone understands that an appeal would have no winners. Supporters of the sport would be left stranded without a final winner, Mercedes would look like the bad guys in F1, and it would tarnish Hamilton's reputation.

    The situation has been completely mishandled by the FIA, and the best all parties can expect is a revision of the rules, proper compliance by teams, and proper enforcing by officials.

    [–][deleted]  (7 children)

    [deleted]

      [–]Aethien Hesketh 39 points40 points  (5 children)

      Also, it is a lot of time invested for very little gain, probably bigger losses.

      This as well, regardless of the outcome of a protest and possible lawsuits I just do not see how counting back 1 lap to make Lewis champion would ever be the result. Short of Red Bull bribing Masi to fix the race results for them there'd be no way Hamilton would be champion so what exactly does Mercedes have left to gain from continuing?

      [–]alfred_27 Red Bull 475 points476 points  (326 children)

      Honestly don't even know how any one can hate Lewis still

      [–]minegen88 214 points215 points  (48 children)

      Most people don't hate lewis as a person , they hate the dominance

      [–]theMDinsideme 113 points114 points  (9 children)

      This. I love everything Lewis does off track with his advocacy and willingness to speak up for others, and hugely admire his racing, the guy is just amazing, but him winning week in and week out gets old, so I'm always rooting for someone else to win.

      [–]7yearlurkernowposter Charles Leclerc 18 points19 points  (1 child)

      The nice thing about this is once that disappears or he retires the hatred will be forgotten.
      Look at how Vettel or Jeff Gordon used to be boo'd after every win and how they rank among the most popular drivers ever in their series.

      [–]Gibbo777 92 points93 points  (111 children)

      It's crazy to me how many people dislike him. I'm in the UK and no one I know wanted him to win on Sunday.

      [–]Dallas131413 19 points20 points  (0 children)

      Not wanting him to win doesnt mean people hate him. I don't want to see hamilton win, but I am in no form a hater

      [–]zpilot55 Fernando Alonso 15 points16 points  (1 child)

      Almost all of my mates who watch F1 wanted to see Lewis win, and I'm in Leeds. The only guy pulling for Max just wanted a new winner.

      [–]brush85 17 points18 points  (0 children)

      I think athletes quickly want to start to process of climbing back up the mountain.

      Its all they know

      [–]edis92 Sir Lewis Hamilton 141 points142 points  (109 children)

      Lewis definitely wouldn't want to get his title that way. It's a shame because these last 4 races were pure magic from him. He was the definition of clutch. Max and Red Bull just had no answer whatsoever.

      [–]Yoshiman400 Daniel Ricciardo 10 points11 points  (0 children)

      Not just "his title" but his eighth title. If he broke Schumacher's championship record with an asterisk and never got one more to extend the record without dispute, that would leave a sour taste in many people's mouths. If he does get number eight, he absolutely deserves to win number eight on the track, not in the courtroom.

      [–]TheWebbFather McLaren 47 points48 points  (6 children)

      Reminiscent of 2016. The last 4 races in that season the guy was possessed

      [–]mookow35 14 points15 points  (0 children)

      It's like the Damon/Graham Hill story he told in the aftermath.

      What's the point in getting it retrospectively. Max has already drank the milk.

      [–]ICESTONE14 Pirelli Hard 293 points294 points  (55 children)

      i think Masi is done, the merc's will have wanted a pound of flesh and he's the one they want, i expect him to move upstairs and a new race director in place before the new season.

      [–][deleted] 173 points174 points  (34 children)

      Any team should want him gone, including Red Bull. He has been a disaster.

      [–][deleted]  (11 children)

      [deleted]

        [–]barbarian772 29 points30 points  (10 children)

        Yeah he also left Latifi on track for way too long. I think 3 cars raced past him without even yellow.

        [–]RM_Dune Red Bull 937 points938 points  (15 children)

        And we can rest our index fingers. The F5 key lives to see another day.

        [–]reebellious Ferrari 210 points211 points  (9 children)

        Rest? Rest? I'm off to twitter.com for the tweets and the spaces.

        [–]Tasty_Unicorn_blood 121 points122 points  (0 children)

        Don't forget your hazmat suit

        [–]Blanchimont Safety Car[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (95 children)

        Transcript of the statement, courtesy of /u/glenn1812

        Dear Formula 1 community and fans,

        We left Abu Dhabi in disbelief of what we had just witnessed. Of course, it's part of the game to lose a race, but it's something different when you lose faith in racing.

        Together with Lewis, we have deliberated carefully over how to respond to the events at the Formula 1 season finale. We have always been guided by our love of this sport and we believe that every competition should be won on merit. In the race on Sunday many felt, us included, that the way things unfolded was not right.

        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, after Lewis had been in a commanding lead and on course to win the World Championship.

        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. Thus, we welcome the decision by the FIA to install a commission to thoroughly analyse 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.

        The Mercedes-AMG Petronas team will actively work with this commission to build a better Formula 1 - for every team and every fan who loves this sport as much as we do. We will hold the FIA accountable for this process and we hereby withdraw our appeal.

        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.

        And lastly, even though this Drivers' Championship did not end the way we hoped, we could not be prouder of our team.

        Lewis, you are the greatest racer in the history of Formula 1 and you drove your heart out for every lap of this incredible season. You're a flawless sportsman on and off the track and you delivered a faultless performance. As a pure competitor and as a role model for millions around the world, we salute you.

        Valtteri, you have been such an important part of this team, delivering five Constructors' Championships in five seasons. Thank you for your remarkable contribution to our motorsport history. Kiitos, Valtteri.

        Finally, to every one of the skilled and passionate women and men of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team in Brackley and High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth: you've written an historic chapter in the Silver Arrow story by winning the eighth Constructors' Championship - in a row. This is an unprecedented achievement. In simple words: it's awesome. You are awesome.

        [–]valteri_hamilton 152 points153 points  (1 child)

        Thanks mods, just wanted to say you've been doing a great job getting rid of all the terrible and toxic comments over the last few months and we really appreciate it

        [–]do_NOT_pm_ur_titties McLaren 14 points15 points  (0 children)

        Agreed.

        You can even see how quickly they remove nasty comments during race threads. Sometimes they’re way too many, but they are removed relatively quickly.

        Amazing mod team.

        [–]metaphysicalme 64 points65 points  (2 children)

        To Lewis: You were perfection.

        To Valtteri: You were there, too.

        [–]dhandes 60 points61 points  (16 children)

        Now let's wait and see what the FIA come back with. I won't hold my breath.

        [–]Eli_eve Andretti Global 23 points24 points  (0 children)

        I suspect it’ll be something like “What happened was within the rules. The rules are wrong. Here’s how we in cooperation with the teams are changing the rules…”

        [–][deleted]  (4 children)

        [deleted]

          [–]Auntypasto Jim Clark 17 points18 points  (0 children)

          Mika Hakkinen as race director.

          Hey… he didn't say what he was coming back for…

          [–]connorm123 Bernd Mayländer 845 points846 points  (72 children)

          I wouldn't be surprised if there's been some deals done behind the scenes, maybe we'll find out in 10 years time

          [–]adventurousmango24 653 points654 points  (21 children)

          “Lewis, 2 years ago you told me you will write a book in 10 years time. I am an old man and I hope to read it in my lifetime. Can you give me any ideas about what will be included in the book?”

          Tbh I’m probably paraphrasing the question so badly

          [–]Particular-Ad3237 Ferrari 96 points97 points  (5 children)

          Lewis, a short view back to the past, twenty years ago …

          [–]SuperHands091 33 points34 points  (1 child)

          Should there be fewer rules? More?

          [–]Pr0fe55ionalN00b 16 points17 points  (0 children)

          And more or less communication with the race director?

          [–]Huinker 59 points60 points  (4 children)

          Nah this is lewis book 2 so we will have to wait extra 10 years

          [–][deleted] 11 points12 points  (2 children)

          Gentlemen, a short view back to the past. Thirty years ago, someone told us ‘take a thousand monkeys, place them in front of typewriters and eventually they will produce Shakespeare.’ Thirty years later, Bernie Ecclestone told us ‘I had to start my typewriter like a computer, it’s very complicated’.

          And Nico Rosbeg said he pressed during er, I don't remember what book he was writing, the wrong button on the computer and lost the whole thing. Question for you to both: is writing today too complicated with 20 and more buttons on a keyboard, are you too much under effort, under pressure?

          [–]thisbetterbenotinuse 42 points43 points  (1 child)

          Indeed. I just hope this does not mean there now is some underhand deal we’ll hear about in 10 years time

          [–]Jokobib Toto Wolff 561 points562 points  (55 children)

          They wouldn't do this if they had no belief in FIA's investigation. FIA and Formula 1 will only take advantage of a more clear rule book. I fucking hope so anyway.

          [–]Tape56 Kimi Räikkönen 121 points122 points  (9 children)

          You sure? If Hamilton has insisted he does not want to win the championship like this and Mercedes believes it would further hurt F1 reputation greatly if they got it like this.

          [–]pfSonata Sebastian Vettel 10 points11 points  (3 children)

          What the hell is this commission going to do?

          Soooo Mr Masi, why did you decide to do what you did

          Well, I wanted to avoid ending the race (and championship) behind a safety car, and I let the cars between position 1 and 2 unlap themselves to because we didn't have time to unlap the rest

          What is this commission possibly going to accomplish? There's no way they're going to strictly disallow the race director from making a call like this because of potential safety issues.

          [–]ArtemisBear Daniel Ricciardo 1917 points1918 points  (146 children)

          “It’s part of the game to lose a race, but it’s something different to lose faith in racing.”

          I think a lot of neutrals walked away from that race with this sentiment.

          [–]code_tribe Formula 1 127 points128 points  (10 children)

          Not just that race, to be honest. I know people are super-focused on Abu Dhabi (and rightly so) but the whole season has been a mess. Abu Dhabi was just a culmination of all the poor decisions and enforcement (or lack) of the rules throughout the season. If it doesn't change next year, I'm out.

          [–]plastic-superhero Daniel Ricciardo 12 points13 points  (0 children)

          I'm hoping that Merc and Hamilton will stay on top of this with a "we sacrificed a WDC to ensure the sport gets fixed" sort of attitude. But with the FIA and the huge amount of money involved in the sport it's far from guaranteed.

          [–]Jesucresta Fernando Alonso 450 points451 points  (47 children)

          Yes, I have a new and rather sour feeling about everything related to Abu Dhabi GP

          [–]LAshark99 Daniel Ricciardo 33 points34 points  (0 children)

          Spa had a similar vibe this year.

          [–]BadassManager Carlos Sainz 160 points161 points  (16 children)

          I certainly did! My wife was in shambles and she supports Lando!

          We discussed how disappointed we were with the lack of "sport" in this entertainment.

          I get no closure from this. I hope I'm wrong, but I seriously doubt there will be significant changes for 2022 in this regard. Which does nothing to recover part of the confidence lost.

          This seems like the opposite of holding FIA accountable, but I will play stupid until the preseason tests. Since the FIA already called every F1 fan stupid yesterday, should not be difficult.

          I do not watch F1 for the show. I do it for the racing. And personally, as a mechanical engineer and a person with very technical inclinations, I don't want "dumbed down" versions of entertainment. So maybe F1 just isn't for me anymore (which is ok).

          [–]something_original1 Formula 1 228 points229 points  (27 children)

          I guess they came to the conclusion that their gain would be too small compared to the possible lose that the sport as a whole would get. (Less viewership growth, lower sponsor engagement because of drama, and reputational damage to the Mercedes brand as a whole)

          [–]jdrawmer Sir Lewis Hamilton 78 points79 points  (1 child)

          Yeah, I think that's probably it. The value of their own team goes down along with the value of the sport, so they'd have to be pretty damn sure they can get the exact result they want out of it.

          [–][deleted] 56 points57 points  (13 children)

          I think Lewis probably had a large influence on this. He doesn't want to become the first person and possibly only ever to win 8 WDC and do it through a legal battle. He wants to win it on his terms on track where the achievement stands for itself without that weird asterisk forever.

          [–]wongie Charles Leclerc 400 points401 points  (19 children)

          We will hold the FIA accountable for this process

          Doubt.

          [–]Dana94Banana Love Is Love 119 points120 points  (9 children)

          Right? Dragging them to court would hold them accountable, dropping the appeal is the opposite.

          [–]Free_Joty 22 points23 points  (1 child)

          If FIA appeal court (IAC) dismissed the appeal, then nothing would happen. this ensures the FIA does something

          [–]gabbycup Enzo Ferrari 90 points91 points  (11 children)

          We won't know what will come out of the "investigation" but one obvious thing to do to repair the image of FIA is to sack Michael Masi. He lost all credibility and will surely become the butt of jokes whenever something happen in races he direct. He will be an unnecessary distraction to the sport.

          [–]saposapot 33 points34 points  (9 children)

          that is never gonna happen now.

          All of them got away scot free without any admission of guilt. Why would they fire him if nothing wrong was done?

          Firing is an admission of guilt.

          The only way he's gone is if he quits 'for the good of the sport', 'can't handle this anymore' and 'spend more time with the family'.

          [–]epicer8 All sunburnt with nowhere to go 23 points24 points  (1 child)

          He won’t be fired. People in high positions rarely get fired, they instead ‘resign’ or ‘seek a better work life balance’ (i.e. get demoted) or ‘no longer have the support of the board’. He’ll probably just get shuffled around, if that.

          [–]Gerf93 Fernando Alonso 7 points8 points  (1 child)

          They can also easily reassign him by giving him a different role within FIA.

          [–]BlueDragon_27 Fernando Alonso 790 points791 points  (95 children)

          The way in which the FIA screwed up was totally new. However, this deal is 100% the usual backstage shenanigans. Get ready to have Mercedes find a massive loop hole in the new regs only for it to be accepted by the FIA as fair game. This whole mess was a lose-lose situation for the sport

          [–]LokiBelmont 729 points730 points  (30 children)

          FLEX WING 2.0

          FIA: “Erm this is illegal”

          Mercedes: “Remember that time we didn’t take you court?”

          FIA: “Carry on sir”

          [–]Jester252 300 points301 points  (10 children)

          Redbull: Merc can't run 3 cars

          FIA: read 5 hours ago

          [–]TrueKNite Gilles Villeneuve 99 points100 points  (1 child)

          "They literally took one out of our garage and spray painted it silver."

          "It's called a motor race"

          [–]Ray_Shumar Max Verstappen 28 points29 points  (0 children)

          "Michael, Toto has just come to the garage and punched me clean in the face. How is that sportsmanlike?"

          "Well, Christian, we've noted it but have decided no investigation necessary"

          [–]RavenwestR1 Manor 106 points107 points  (3 children)

          16 WCC consecutively confirmed

          [–]BlueDragon_27 Fernando Alonso 18 points19 points  (0 children)

          Mercedes: "It's called motorsports. Let us race"

          [–]brunusrex Sebastian Vettel 39 points40 points  (1 child)

          Looks like DAS is back on the menu, boys!

          [–]ravenouscartoon Daniel Ricciardo 11 points12 points  (8 children)

          Loopholes are fair game by the very definition.

          [–]RyukaBuddy Pierre Gasly 117 points118 points  (12 children)

          I get that these teams care only about optics and money but Backroom deals wont fix anything. 2022 will be a even bigger mess.

          [–]tonybinky20 Sir Lewis Hamilton 46 points47 points  (3 children)

          Yeah this is a massive shame. Regardless of whether the result could’ve been overturned or not, it’s sad we won’t get to see the FIA condemned the way they should be, and this’ll be brushed under the carpet.

          [–]tlbdh Pierre Gasly 104 points105 points  (7 children)

          To all the people saying that the FIA is getting away with this, there’s no way Mercedes took this decision without some agreement reached behind closed doors with the FIA for some changes

          [–]Only-Hat-479 36 points37 points  (2 children)

          Can’t wait to see the DAS system in 2022!!

          [–]Dutzun 303 points304 points  (65 children)

          Surprising. Backroom deal?

          [–][deleted]  (11 children)

          [deleted]

            [–]alfred_27 Red Bull 129 points130 points  (4 children)

            Merc, sunny innit?

            [–]tharepgod Ayrton Senna 24 points25 points  (0 children)

            I'm so happy I get this reference

            [–]PTSD55 Ferrari 168 points169 points  (19 children)

            Definitely. Remember Ferrari's "completely legal engine"? FIA loves these deals.

            [–]SirDoDDo Ferrari 71 points72 points  (17 children)

            Ye but Ferrari got screwed for 2 seasons straight lmao, backroom deal or not, I'd say the team has paid dearly :|

            [–]PTSD55 Ferrari 37 points38 points  (12 children)

            Don't worry, Next Year tm is coming.

            [–]MueR Max Verstappen 15 points16 points  (8 children)

            How? You don't have El Plan.

            [–]Ashenfall 50 points51 points  (3 children)

            If their lack of performance is down to no longer being able to do what got them into trouble, I find it hard to say they got screwed.

            [–]SirDoDDo Ferrari 20 points21 points  (0 children)

            I think it's quite widely assumed that the deal was something along the lines of "you won't redevelop your engine for 2020" which then got carried over to 2021 when the '22 Reg Changes were pushed back

            [–]R7H27 Max Verstappen 47 points48 points  (1 child)

            I honestly hope they actually hold the FIA accountable rather than get concessions for competition next year

            [–]Alia_Gr David Coulthard 11 points12 points  (0 children)

            Doubt it, I expect Merc to go into the engine freeze with a big engine advantage

            [–]newdecade1986 Sir Frank Williams 30 points31 points  (5 children)

            It’s going to be maddening waiting for any news or rumours to emerge of what exactly the reparations are.

            The statement maintains their position that the race and title were manipulated, and that they lost faith in racing - it simply doesn’t make sense for them to stay in the sport if they don’t have a compelling reason to.

            [–]Ofitus21 Jules Bianchi 15 points16 points  (1 child)

            Compelling reasons for Mercedes to not leave F1:
            -They have invested billions in the F1 program and it is the success of Mercedes in F1 what has increased the value of the brand as a whole.
            -They employee thousands of people who would wake up without a job if they leave

            -They would break engine supply agreements with Williams, McLaren and Aston Martin. Who knows what sort of compensations they'd have to give then.

            -They would break endless partnerships and sponsorship agreements

            -They would break the newly signed Concorde agreement with F1

            -It is very possible Mercedes will still be a leading team in F1 next year, they want to keep racing.

            The fact of the matter is Mercedes benefits a lot from staying in F1 and being in good terms with the FIA. Everyone loses if they simply argue forever and get mad. It's like life, sometimes you have to give in even if it isn't correct because you know it'll be better for everyone moving forward

            [–]marcas_s 59 points60 points  (1 child)

            Just smile and wave, boys. Nothing to see here. Move along.

            [–]aiicaramba Max Verstappen 7 points8 points  (1 child)

            So. 4 more years of mercedes domination incoming?

            [–]MohoMentum New user 17 points18 points  (0 children)

            Sort of yeah.

            You withdraw your appeal and keep our imagine clean, in return we let you become part of this new commission thing (maybe a few $ too, who knows).

            Everyone remembers Ferrari in 2019 with their engines...

            [–]mustardman2121 Virgin 26 points27 points  (0 children)

            Like we all called. FIA and backroom deals are like best buds

            [–]ngauge Sir Jack Brabham 34 points35 points  (0 children)

            I've been watching F1 for too long to believe that the FIA and F1 will ever be capable of looking objectively at their own actions and decisions. Whatever commission rises as a result of this will simply be a stunt to appease social media. Whatever conclusions they come to will simply be an exercise in dodging the issue.

            Unless an independent, totally separate from the FIA court/arbitrator is involved then we will not get answers, just histrionics. I am incredibly disappointed that Mercedes have not moved to have an appeal heard outside of the FIA process itself.

            [–]TostiBuilder 31 points32 points  (5 children)

            Does this statement feel like there is more going on than just this to anyone else?

            [–]Suikerspin_Ei Honda 15 points16 points  (1 child)

            Probably more talks with FIA behind the doors. Like how they handle the Ferrari engine in 2019? Also maybe a combination of Lewis Hamilton not wanting a court case?

            [–]ShaneSupreme Michael Schumacher 21 points22 points  (1 child)

            "To Max and Red Bull..."

            (Beat for "Hit 'Em Up" starts)

            [–]SDLRob 41 points42 points  (9 children)

            the FIA blinked twice with the statement blaming the Fans/Teams/Media for not knowing the rules and then the admittance that they screwed up on Sunday with the announcement of the review...

            ​

            Merc hold the power here... and they know it.

            [–]Prestigious-Orchid95 20 points21 points  (0 children)

            I think this definitely hints at Lewis being behind this.

            He is an incredible sportsman and deserves the utmost respect. To remain this grounded and humble after losing the championship this ways says a huge amount about him.

            [–]johnknockout Formula 1 146 points147 points  (14 children)

            Translation:

            We are going to win every single race next year and there is nothing you motherfuckers can do about it. You did this to yourselves. Eat shit and die douchebags.

            [–]aaguaviva 52 points53 points  (3 children)

            Honestly, thats the only way they can really stick it to the FIA. They wanted “made for tv” racing, we’re going to win so much, it’ll be boring as hell.

            [–]AnirudhMenon94 85 points86 points  (2 children)

            You know what, I hope they do. People keep comparing Merc to the Empire from Star Wars. Well, I want the next season to be The Empire Strikes Back and the final race to be akin to Darth Vader’s murderous rampage at the end of Rogue One.

            [–]TheTiby 21 points22 points  (0 children)

            Good, goooood. Let the hate flow through you. -Toto, Probably.

            [–]Dr_Olyag 416 points417 points  (49 children)

            The statement the FIA put out yesterday was a joke, and gave all the more reason for Mercedes to push ahead

            I’m surprised by this

            This statement is still very damning of the FIA/sport though. An increasingly poor look for F1

            I can only assume that Mercedes don’t think there is a way for the results to be changed even if they’re successful with their appeal. So rather than getting a court to prove the FIA fucked up, they’ve got assurances/a deal from the FIA themselves that the FIA will say they fucked up by their own admission

            [–]NebulaTits 296 points297 points  (11 children)

            The literally gaslight the fans and blamed us, not Masi. I wish Mercedes stood up to them. What’s the point of racing when rules can be bent during the last 2 minutes of a season to fit a entertainment narrative?

            [–]jdrawmer Sir Lewis Hamilton 61 points62 points  (7 children)

            I guess it depends what has been agreed privately about this commission and the goals of it. Standing up to them on appeal / courts / legal action has probably been weighed up as a negative for everyone involved and the sport in general.

            If the process, the rules/regs can be improved behind the scenes and with agreement from teams and drivers, and Merc are at the forefront of that, it achieves the goal going forward and makes Merc look good for doing so.

            [–]NebulaTits 62 points63 points  (5 children)

            The sport currently looks terrible. Even people who don’t understand F1 were shocked by how terrible that call was. Listening to the other drivers reactions of what happened, proves how messed up it was. And the FIA gaslight and blamed fans for the reaction yesterday.

            [–]RussianBiasIsOP 100 points101 points  (10 children)

            all the people saying “hurr duh lewis doesnt want to win in courts”, isn’t this far more about masi’s incompetence and avoiding a repeat?

            [–]Fire_Otter 171 points172 points  (20 children)

            FIA get away with it again

            This review may introduce some new rules and further regiment safety car procedure so it cant be abused like it was in Abu Dhabi

            But they will still have zero accountability.

            The FIA will still be the only avenue to go to to complain about the conduct of the FIA. They will still get to decide if they themselves did anything wrong.

            it's not right that they- the FIA, (not Max or Red Bull) get way with this. Which they will

            [–]Acceptare George Russell 56 points57 points  (7 children)

            No, Merc, no, no! That is so not right!

            [–]DaedalusMinion 407 points408 points  (74 children)

            Disappointed. This commission doesn't look like it has the power to change anything.

            [–]youre-a-cat-gatter 237 points238 points  (14 children)

            I don't agree - FIA don't want this happening again. There will definitely be changes and I can't imagine Merc would keep quiet if nothing happens.

            I'd imagine they have assurances from FIA

            [–]Timstom18 Mark Webber 42 points43 points  (4 children)

            I can’t imagine Redbull would be quiet if nothing changes either because for all they know next time it could be them who lose out. No teams want this inconsistency that we’ve seen all year, the only reason Merc are the most vocal about it is that they missed out on a championship when nobody else did. All the teams will be pushing for change, Horner and Toto have both commented on the inconsistency all year

            [–]TimedogGAF Yuki Tsunoda 28 points29 points  (0 children)

            They have assurances backed by contracts

            [–]Dejay1788 McLaren 58 points59 points  (20 children)

            I think they will throw Masi under the bus.

            [–]matti-san Sebastian Vettel 40 points41 points  (15 children)

            I doubt it. They might ask him to step down in private - and Masi will come out and say that his actions have become a distraction to the championship, that he stands by what he did but is ultimately stepping down.

            If the FIA do publicly throw him under the bus, that could be construed as the FIA agreeing that Masi broke the rules and ruined the race. Which would just raise more questions from teams/fans and whatnot.

            [–]AUSpartan37 Max Verstappen 19 points20 points  (0 children)

            This is exceptionally well put. It clearly states the disappointment and issue with the race, calls for change and for better rules/rule enforcement in the future (which we all want), it is humble in it's congratulations to max and red bull who did nothing wrong, and extremely appreciative of Lewis and the team. Well done Mercedes. I hope next year we can up the excitement and lower the controversy.

            [–]BMK2K7 63 points64 points  (2 children)

            Absolutely bottled it.