As the FIA ​​begins its Abu Dhabi investigation, where do Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton go from here?

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A month after one of the most controversial conclusions to the Formula 1 season that the sport has known, the world is still waiting for answers.

What on earth happened in those frantic final laps of Abu Dhabi?

Did race director Michael Massey really embrace a “free reading of the rules”, which made Lewis Hamilton like a “sitting duck” in last season’s finale, as Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff claimed?

Or the Brackley team made a “tactical mistake” at the end of the race, the argument put forward at the time by Red Bull boss Christian Horner who asserted that the hosts were absolutely right to dismiss their opponent’s protests in the wake of Max Verstappen’s attack, a dramatic last-lap victory that followed a safety car tow. .

One thing is for sure, the FIA ​​and its new boss, Mohamed Ben Sulayem, need to get things under control. And quickly. Mercedes and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton are still utterly angry about what happened and there is no guarantee the latter will return this year.

Hamilton has maintained an intense silence since leaving the Yas Marina circuit. It is understood that the results of the investigation promised by the FIA ​​- which officially began earlier this week and is expected to be completed in time for the next meeting of the World Motorsports Council on February 3 – will be crucial to its decision.

But what exactly does Hamilton want? What do you want Mercedes? We know they were “disappointed” because Wolff told us so before Christmas when he announced Mercedes’ decision to drop their appeal in exchange for a “robust” investigation. We know they want changes. But what are these changes? What will keep Hamilton in the sport?

acknowledgment of mistakes

Mercedes declined to comment on Wednesday, as had been the case long before Christmas. They clearly do not want to be seen as using the media for incitement. Their view is that the ball is in the FIA’s court and it is the sport’s governing body’s duty to deliver on its promise. But you have to imagine that they at least want the FIA ​​to admit that there were mistakes at the end of the Abu Dhabi race, when Massey for the first time only allowed some cars to lap between the leaders to disengage themselves, and then resumed a lap earlier than many felt it should have. to be.

This will be very difficult for the FIA. If an FIA investigation is found against its Abu Dhabi hosts, there may be public calls for the finding to be overturned. Or to have an asterisk be placed next to Verstappen’s name in the history books (which would be unfair to the Dutchman, who himself did nothing wrong and was a deserved champion based on his all-season leadership).

Peter Baer, ​​FIA Motorsport General Secretary, interviews everyone involved, including Massey, and the results of his investigation would make for a great read. Wolff has already said that one of the reasons Mercedes has dropped their appeal is that they do not believe the FIA’s International Court of Appeal would have ruled against their race director. “The FIA ​​can’t really define their homework,” he said. Can Bayer?

Diamond head on a plate.

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