Anger boils over as Mercedes snubs major F1 event

2 years ago 362

Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton person boycotted the season-ending FIA awards ceremony, arsenic Toto Wolff's woman launched a furious spray aimed astatine Australian contention manager Michael Masi.

In a motion that the play of the past week shows nary signs of abating, Hamilton was a no-show successful Paris, contempt being required to be the ceremonial aft finishing 2nd successful the championship.

Team brag Toto Wolff besides boycotted the event, "because of my loyalty to Lewis and due to the fact that of my ain idiosyncratic integrity."

Wolff's wife, Susie, herself a erstwhile operator who has taken portion successful Formula 1 signifier sessions, has utilized a societal media station to slam the athletics for past weekend's arguable Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

What should person been 1 of the sport's finest moments has alternatively been overshadowed by acrimony that the FIA admits has "tarnished" the sport.

Aussie authoritative nether occurrence implicit F1 rubric finish

"What has happened is inactive hard to comprehend and leaves maine with a sick feeling," Wolff wrote.

"Not the losing — and not Max (Verstappen) oregon Red Bull — they are deserving winners and we ever knew it was a beardown anticipation we whitethorn not triumph — but the mode successful which Lewis was robbed has near maine successful utter disbelief."

"The determination of 1 idiosyncratic wrong the governing assemblage who applied a regularisation successful a mode that has ne'er been done earlier successful F1 azygous handedly decided the F1 operator satellite championship.

"Rules are rules. They can't beryllium changed connected a whim by 1 individual."

Writing successful his Sky Sports column, erstwhile operator and present starring commentator Martin Brundle said the decorativeness to the play indispensable beryllium the catalyst for change.

"Despite the astir unthinkable and breathtaking play of Formula 1, arguably the champion successful its 70+ twelvemonth history, there's been mostly vitriol and choler from a heavy polarised paddock and instrumentality basal on the way. That's specified a shame," helium wrote.

"The last fewer laps successful Abu Dhabi, erstwhile the world's eyes were connected america successful staggering numbers, were not our finest infinitesimal and immoderate things person to alteration this winter."

Brundle wrote that Masi, arsenic contention director, understandably didn't privation the contention to decorativeness down the information car, starring to the concern that saw some, but not each cars waved done to un-lap themselves.

"I'm not going to marque immoderate accusations present whatsoever that determination was immoderate malice oregon intent successful those decisions and actions due to the fact that I person zero grounds oregon expectations successful that respect, and you've each made your minds up anyway," helium said.

"I tin recognize wherefore Mercedes and squad Hamilton consciousness aggrieved, conscionable arsenic Red Bull would person done if the contention finished down the information car. Talk astir being betwixt stone and a hard place."

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