MERCEDES are protesting the outcome of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after Lewis Hamilton was pipped to the championship on the final lap of the season. Hamilton was leading by more than ten seconds before the safety car appeared on lap 54 when Nicholas Latifi crashed into the barriers. The safety car entered the pit lane with one lap remaining – and that freed up Verstappen for one final crack at the leader Hamilton. But there was controversy surrounding the timing of the safety car’s withdrawal after several lapped cars were allowed past. Stewards had initially indicated lapped cars in between Hamilton and Verstappen would stay in their current formation. That would have left Verstappen with five cars to get past before reaching Hamilton for a shot at the lead.

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