Jump to content

2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 5225C (talk | contribs) at 15:35, 13 December 2021 (→Mercedes' post-race protests: Typo). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Race 22 of 22[1] in the 2021 Formula One World Championship
← Previous race
Race details
Date 12 December 2021
Official name Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021
Location Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 5.281 km (3.281 miles)
Distance 58 laps, 306.183 km (190.253 miles)
Weather Clear
Pole position
Driver
Red Bull Racing-Honda
Time 1:22.109
Fastest lap
Driver Netherlands Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-Honda
Time 1:26.103 on lap 39 (lap record)
Podium
First
Red Bull Racing-Honda
Second
Mercedes
Third
Ferrari
Lap leaders

The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021) was a Formula One motor race held on 12 December 2021 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The race was the twenty-second and final round of the 2021 Formula One World Championship. The race decided both the Drivers' and Constructors' championships; Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton both had 369.5 points coming into the race. With Verstappen's win, he won the first Formula One World Driver Championship of his career. Mercedes won their eighth consecutive Formula One World Constructor Championship, setting a new record.

Background

Further information: 2021 Formula One World Championship § Calendar changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic

The race was originally scheduled to take place on 5 December, but it was rescheduled after the postponement of the Australian Grand Prix due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]

Circuit redevelopment

Yas Marina underwent redevelopment that shortened the track and the expected lap time in order to increase top speeds and overtaking opportunities.[3] The chicane after turn 4 was removed, and the turn 5 hairpin (which was turn 7 before redevelopment) was widened. The four corner sequence of turns which was turns 11–14 became one banked turn 9. The radius of turns 12–15 (previously 17–20) were increased, to allow cars to carry more speed, changes to turn 15 mean cars are able to travel flat out through the corner.[4]

Entrants

Further information: 2021 Formula One World Championship § Entries

The drivers and teams were initially the same as the season entry list with no additional stand-in drivers for the race.[5] Jack Aitken drove for Williams in the first practice session, in place of George Russell.[5] Nikita Mazepin withdrew prior to the race after being tested positive for coronavirus, but was not replaced by the reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi because he had not taken part in at least one session.[6][7]

The Grand Prix marked the last Formula One race for the 2007 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen, who had announced his intention of retiring at the end of the championship, ending his Formula One career after 19 seasons.[8] It also marked the last race for Antonio Giovinazzi, who is due to move to Formula E, and the final races for George Russell and Valtteri Bottas at Williams and Mercedes respectively, as they move to Mercedes and Alfa Romeo Racing. Bottas raced with a special helmet for the occasion, featuring photos of all the moments he spent at Mercedes, and he sported a special set of blue racing overalls. This race also marked the last race for Honda, as the Japanese company ceases their engine supply to the Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri teams, though they will provide assistance to Red Bull Powertrains, who take over the engine supply.

Championship standings before the race and title permutations

Title rivals Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) both entered the round with 369.5 points, leaving the championship contenders level on points for the final round for the first time since 1974 and for the second time in the sport's history. The Drivers' Championship was decided in the final round for the 30th time, and the first time since 2016.[9] The driver who scored the most points would win the Championship; if the drivers had scored an equal amount of points, Verstappen would have won the Championship due to having won more races (nine to Hamilton's eight) prior to this race.[9][10]

In the Constructors' Championship, Mercedes led with 587.5 points, 28 ahead of Red Bull on 559.5, with 44 still available. This is the first time since 2008 that the final round decided the Constructors' Championship.[9] Ferrari led McLaren in the battle for third place in the constructors by a margin of 38.5 points, meaning McLaren needed to rely on neither Ferrari finishing in the top seven even if McLaren were to achieve maximum points with a 1–2 finish and a fastest lap point to stand any chance of retaking third place.[citation needed]

In the build-up to the race, concerns had been raised that one of the drivers might cause a deliberate in-race collision in an attempt to win the championship; however, race director Michael Masi stated Verstappen or Hamilton could be subject to further sanctions from the FIA if one of them decided to manufacture a deliberate race-ending collision in an attempt to engineer a favourable championship result.[11] These further sanctions include a partial points deduction, a ban from some future races or disqualification from the championship standings (as happened to Michael Schumacher after the 1997 European Grand Prix after he was found to have deliberately collided with Jacques Villeneuve).[12]

Tyres choices

Sole tyre supplier Pirelli provided the C3, C4, and C5 tyre compounds (the softest selection available) for use in dry conditions.[13]

Practice

Three practice sessions were scheduled over the course of the weekend. The first session took place at 13:30 local time (UTC+04:00) on Friday 10 December. The second session took place at 17:00.[14] The third session took place at 14:00 on Saturday 11 December.[14]

The first practice session passed without incident and ended with Verstappen setting the fastest time, followed by Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton.[15]

The second practice session ended with Lewis Hamilton fastest by 0.3 seconds to second-placed Esteban Ocon, Bottas was third fastest ahead of Verstappen, 0.6 seconds behind Hamilton. Kimi Raikkonen crashed at Turn 14 just as the session was concluding but was unhurt.[16]

Qualifying

Qualifying started at 17:00 local time on Saturday 11 December.[14]

Qualifying classification

Pos. No. Driver Constructor Qualifying times Final
grid
Q1 Q2 Q3
1 33 Netherlands Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-Honda 1:23.322 1:22.800 1:22.109 1
2 44 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:22.845 1:23.145 1:22.480 2
3 4 United Kingdom Lando Norris McLaren-Mercedes 1:23.553 1:23.256 1:22.931 3
4 11 Mexico Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing-Honda 1:23.350 1:23.135 1:22.947 4
5 55 Spain Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 1:23.624 1:23.174 1:22.992 5
6 77 Finland Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:23.117 1:23.246 1:23.036 6
7 16 Monaco Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:23.467 1:23.202 1:23.122 7
8 22 Japan Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri-Honda 1:23.428 1:23.404 1:23.220 8
9 31 France Esteban Ocon Alpine-Renault 1:23.764 1:23.420 1:23.389 9
10 3 Australia Daniel Ricciardo McLaren-Mercedes 1:23.829 1:23.448 1:23.409 10
11 14 Spain Fernando Alonso Alpine-Renault 1:23.846 1:23.460 N/A 11
12 10 France Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri-Honda 1:23.489 1:24.043 N/A 12
13 18 Canada Lance Stroll Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:24.061 1:24.066 N/A 13
14 99 Italy Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari 1:24.118 1:24.251 N/A 14
15 5 Germany Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:24.225 1:24.305 N/A 15
16 6 Canada Nicholas Latifi Williams-Mercedes 1:24.338 N/A N/A 16
17 63 United Kingdom George Russell Williams-Mercedes 1:24.423 N/A N/A 17
18 7 Finland Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari 1:24.779 N/A N/A 18
19 47 Germany Mick Schumacher Haas-Ferrari 1:24.906 N/A N/A 19
20 9 Russian Automobile Federation Nikita Mazepin[a] Haas-Ferrari 1:25.685 N/A N/A 20
107% time: 1:28.644
Source:[18][19]

Race

The race started at 17:00 local time on Sunday 12 December.[14] Hamilton took the lead from Verstappen at the start, Verstappen attempted to repass in turn six.[20] Hamilton left the track, cut the corner and rejoined with his lead considerably extended.[neutrality is disputed] This caused an immediate protest to race director Michael Masi by Red Bull, and the team was told by radio that Hamilton had given back any advantage gained.[20] The incident was referred to the stewards, which concluded that no further investigation was necessary.[20] Hamilton then gradually extended his lead until the first round of pit stops.

Verstappen made his stop at the end of lap 13 with Hamilton following suit one lap later, both opting for a set to the hardest available tyres. Red Bull decided not to stop Pérez, in the hope that he could hold up Hamilton later.[original research?] Hamilton caught up with Pérez on lap 20 and attempted to pass with the advantage of his much fresher tyres. Pérez defended hard and was overtaken by but then repassed Hamilton until finally losing his position one lap later. He had, however, managed to make Hamilton lose almost his entire lead over Verstappen. The latter was not able to attack, and Hamilton's gap to Verstappen gradually extended again.

On lap 26, Räikkönen collided with the barriers at turn six and subsequently retired due to braking issues, marking the end of his 349th and final Formula One start.

On lap 35, Giovinazzi retired his car with gearbox issues alongside the track, which triggered a virtual safety car period. Red Bull used this opportunity to bring Verstappen in for a fresh set of the hardest tyres without losing track position, while Hamilton stayed out. Normal racing resumed two laps later. Using the advantage of fresher tyres, Verstappen gradually reduced his deficit, but not at a rate which would have been sufficient to catch Hamilton before the end of the race.[20]

On lap 53, a crash for Nicholas Latifi brought out the safety car. Hamilton again stayed out without pitting, while Verstappen pitted behind him for a fresh set of the softest available tyres. During the safety car period Pérez retired. After Verstappen's pit stop, he retained second, but with five cars between himself and Hamilton (in first).

Prior to the end of the safety car, seemingly conflicting messages were given by race control regarding whether lapped cars would be able to unlap themselves from behind Hamilton before the safety car was withdrawn. Drivers were initially told this would not be done at all, but this decision was partially reversed on lap 57, with only the five lapped cars sitting in-between Verstappen and Hamilton allowed to pass the safety car.

The safety car pulled in at the end of the penultimate lap, allowing for one lap of green flag racing before the finish. On the final lap Verstappen used his fresh soft tyres to pass Hamilton into turn five to take the lead of the race. He held off counter-attacks from Hamilton to win the race and his first World Drivers' Championship. Mercedes gained enough points to win their eigth consecutive Constructors' title, extending their own record.[21]

Hamilton finished the race in second, and third place was awarded to Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, who completed the podium.[22]

Mercedes' post-race protests

Mercedes protested the result of the race on two counts: for Verstappen overtaking under the safety car contrary to §48.8 of the Formula One sporting regulations, and that they believed race director Michael Masi did not follow the correct procedure under §48.12 (quoted in full below) by only allowing the cars between Verstappen and Hamilton before the restart at the end of lap 57, despite initially rejecting requests from Red Bull to do so.[23] The first protest was denied as the stewards ruled that Verstappen momentarily passing Hamilton under the safety car did not constitute an overtake.[24]

The second issue was more contentious, with Mercedes retaining legal counsel for the protest. Mercedes argued that if a message for lapped cars to overtake is issued under §48.12, then all lapped cars are required to unlap, and that the safety car was required to wait until the end of the following lap to return to the pit lane; if this process was complied with, Mercedes submitted that Hamilton would have won the race (and therefore, the championship) and requested that the classification be amended as such. Red Bull argued that: a) that the regulation stated "any cars", not "all cars" were required to overtake under §48.12; b) §48.13 (quoted below), which governs the withdrawal of the safety car, overrides §48.12; c) §15.3 (quoted below) gives the race director (Michael Masi) overriding authority over the use of the safety car; and d) the race result would not have changed if all eight lapped cars were permitted to unlap. Masi argued that the principle behind §48.12 was to remove cars which "interfered" with drivers racing on the lead lap and that all teams had agreed in principle that all races should end under racing conditions.[25]

If the clerk of the course considers it safe to do so, and the message "LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE" has been sent to all Competitors via the official messaging system, any cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car.

This will only apply to cars that were lapped at the time they crossed the Line at the end of the lap during which they crossed the first Safety Car line for the second time after the safety car was deployed.

Having overtaken the cars on the lead lap and the safety car these cars should then proceed around the track at an appropriate speed, without overtaking, and make every effort to take up position at the back of the line of cars behind the safety car. Whilst they are overtaking, and in order to ensure this may be carried out safely, the cars on the lead lap must always stay on the racing line unless deviating from it is unavoidable. Unless the clerk of the course considers the presence of the safety car is still necessary, once the last lapped car has passed the leader the safety car will return to the pits at the end of the following lap.

— Article 48.12, 2021 Formula One Sporting Regulations[26]

When the clerk of the course decides it is safe to call in the safety car the message "SAFETY CAR IN THIS LAP" will be sent to all Competitors via the official messaging system and the car's orange lights will be extinguished. This will be the signal to the Competitors and drivers that it will be entering the pit lane at the end of that lap. At this point the first car in line behind the safety car may dictate the pace and, if necessary, fall more than ten car lengths behind it. In order to avoid the likelihood of accidents before the safety car returns to the pits, from the point at which the lights on the car are turned out drivers must proceed at a pace which involves no erratic acceleration or braking nor any other manoeuvre which is likely to endanger other drivers or impede the restart. As the safety car is approaching the pit entry the SC boards will be withdrawn and, other than on the last lap of the sprint qualifying session or the race, as the leader approaches the Line the yellow flags will be withdrawn and a green flag and/or green light panel will be displayed at the Line.

— Article 48.13, 2021 Formula One Sporting Regulations[26]

The clerk of the course shall work in permanent consultation with the Race Director. The Race Director shall have overriding authority in the following matters and the clerk of the course may give orders in respect of them only with his express agreement: [...] e) The use of the safety car.

— Article 15.13, 2021 Formula One Sporting Regulations[26]

The second protest was also dismissed; the stewards ruled that although §48.12 was not applied in full, Red Bull's argument that §48.13 and §15.3 overrode that rule was correct, and that deleting the last lap would "effectively [shorten] the race retrospectively" and was therefore inappropriate.[25] With the protests dismissed, Verstappen was provisionally confirmed as World Champion, pending any appeal. Mercedes have lodged their intention to appeal to the FIA's International Court of Appeal citing potential breaches of Article 15 of the International Sporting Code and Article 10 of the FIA's Judicial and Disciplinary Code, with the team given 72 hours after the race has concluded to decide whether they wish to take the matter further.[27][28]

Race reactions

In a radio message to his race engineer Peter Bonnington that was not played on the television feed, Lewis Hamilton complained that the race result had been "manipulated".[29] George Russell, who will be Hamilton's teammate at Mercedes in 2022, called the race finishing decision of race director Michael Masi 'unacceptable'.[30] Lando Norris—who was situated at the front of the five cars permitted to unlap—said the decision to go racing again on the last lap was made 'for TV', and Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, Charles Leclerc, and Sebastian Vettel—the drivers of the other four cars in the pack—also expressed confusion at the sudden instruction to unlap.[31] Daniel Ricciardo—who was situated immediately behind Verstappen during the safety car period and was thus not permitted to unlap himself—said he was "speechless" at the instruction, especially as it did not allow him to also race the five-car pack on newer soft-compound tyres, and Carlos Sainz—who was positioned behind Riccardio and Stroll upon the restart and was under pressure from Tsunoda, Gasly, and Bottas—opined that the decision to resume racing under the circumstances "nearly cost [him his] podium".[31]

Race classification

Pos. No. Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 33 Netherlands Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-Honda 58 1:30:17.345 1 261
2 44 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 58 +2.256 2 18
3 55 Spain Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 58 +5.173 5 15
4 22 Japan Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri-Honda 58 +5.692 8 12
5 10 France Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri-Honda 58 +6.531 12 10
6 77 Finland Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 58 +7.463 6 8
7 4 United Kingdom Lando Norris McLaren-Mercedes 58 +59.200 3 6
8 14 Spain Fernando Alonso Alpine-Renault 58 +1:01.708 11 4
9 31 France Esteban Ocon Alpine-Renault 58 +1:04.026 9 2
10 16 Monaco Charles Leclerc Ferrari 58 +1:06:057 7 1
11 5 Germany Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin-Mercedes 58 +1:07.527 15
12 3 Australia Daniel Ricciardo McLaren-Mercedes 57 +1 lap 10
13 18 Canada Lance Stroll Aston Martin-Mercedes 57 +1 lap 13
14 47 Germany Mick Schumacher Haas-Ferrari 57 +1 lap 19
152 11 Mexico Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing-Honda 55 Oil pressure 4
Ret 6 Canada Nicholas Latifi Williams-Mercedes 50 Accident 16
Ret 99 Italy Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari 33 Hydraulics 14
Ret 63 United Kingdom George Russell Williams-Mercedes 26 Gearbox 17
Ret 7 Finland Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari 25 Brakes 18
Fastest lap: Netherlands Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing-Honda) – 1:26.103 (lap 39)
Source:[19][32][33]

Notes

  • ^1 – Includes one point for fastest lap.
  • ^2 – Sergio Pérez was classified as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.[32]
  • ^3 – The classification is subject to an appeal lodged with the International Court of Appeals.[32]

Championship standings after the race

  • Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Nikita Mazepin is Russian, but he competed as a neutral competitor using the designation RAF (Russian Automobile Federation), as the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld a ban on Russia competing at World Championships. The ban was implemented by the World Anti-Doping Agency in response to the state-sponsored doping program of Russian athletes.[17]

References

  1. ^ Smith, Luke (28 August 2021). "Formula 1 reveals updated 2021 calendar, drops to 22 races". Autosport. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  2. ^ "F1 Schedule 2021 – Bahrain to host season opener as Australia moves later in calendar and Imola returns". Formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 12 January 2021. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Formula 1: All eyes on Yas Marina circuit's new track layout for season finale Abu Dhabi Grand Prix". Gulf News. Al Nisr Publishing. 6 December 2021. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  4. ^ "The track changes aimed at improving overtaking at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit". Formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 24 June 2021. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  5. ^ a b Connelly, Gary; Holter, Felix; Warwick, Derek; Al Hashmi, Mohamed (9 December 2021). "2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Entry List" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. Retrieved 9 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ Walsh, Fergal (12 December 2021). "Mazepin to miss Abu Dhabi GP following positive Covid-19 test result". motorsportweek.com. Motorsport Media Services Ltd. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  7. ^ Foster, Michelle (12 December 2021). "Nikita Mazepin out of Abu Dhabi GP after positive for Covid test". PlanetF1. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  8. ^ Smith, Luke (2 September 2021). "Raikkonen to retire from Formula 1 at end of 2021 season". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  9. ^ a b c Galloway, James (6 December 2021). "Abu Dhabi GP: Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton tied on F1 points and heading into title-deciding Sunset Showdown". Sky Sports F1. Sky Group. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  10. ^ Benson, Andrew (6 December 2021). "Lewis Hamilton v Max Verstappen: 'It could well end in a messy situation'". BBC Sport. BBC. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  11. ^ Richards, Giles (10 December 2021). "Tensions rise between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen before F1 decider". TheGuardian.com. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 10 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Mitchell, Scott (9 December 2021). "FIA issues points deduction warning ahead of F1 title decider". The Race. The Race Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  13. ^ "2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Preview". Pirelli. Milan. 6 December 2021. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  14. ^ a b c d "Abu Dhabi timetable". Formula1.com. Formula One Administration. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  15. ^ Smith, Luke (10 December 2021). "Abu Dhabi F1 GP: Verstappen outpaces Mercedes duo in FP1". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 – Practice 2". Formula 1.com. Retrieved 11 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ Luke Smith (5 February 2021). "Mazepin set to race under neutral flag after CAS ruling extends to F1". motorsport.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  18. ^ "Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 – Qualifying". Formula1.com. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 – Starting Grid". Formula1.com. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ a b c d Wilde, Jon (12 December 2021). "Race: Max Verstappen clinches Formula 1 title in remarkable Abu Dhabi GP finale". PlanetF1. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  21. ^ "2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix report and highlights: Brilliant Verstappen claims maiden title after victory in Abu Dhabi season finale after late Safety Car drama". Formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 12 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "Verstappen crowned world champion but Mercedes to appeal against result". Guardian. 12 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  23. ^ "Mercedes launch protests over Abu Dhabi GP result after Safety Car-affected race end". Formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 12 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ^ "Stewards dismiss Mercedes protest for Verstappen overtaking behind safety car". www.autosport.com. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  25. ^ a b "Full FIA stewards' verdict on Mercedes protest over Abu Dhabi GP race restart". www.autosport.com. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  26. ^ a b c "2021 Formula One sporting regulations" (PDF). FIA. 8 December 2021. pp. 12, 50–51.
  27. ^ "Stewards dismiss Mercedes' Abu Dhabi Grand Prix protests, as team lodge intention to appeal". F1. 12 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ "Decision - Mercedes Protest Art. 48.8" (PDF). FiA. 12 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ "Hamilton felt Abu Dhabi GP was "manipulated" in unplayed radio message". www.autosport.com. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  30. ^ George Russell [@GeorgeRussell63] (12 December 2021). "Max is an absolutely fantastic driver who has had an incredible season and I have nothing but huge respect for him, but what just happened is absolutely unacceptable. I cannot believe what we've just seen" (Tweet). Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 13 December 2021 – via Twitter.
  31. ^ a b "F1 drivers left confused by "made for TV" safety car unlapping call". www.autosport.com. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  32. ^ a b c "Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 – Race Result". Formula1.com. 12 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  33. ^ "Formula 1 Etihad Airwaus Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 – Fastest Laps". Formula1.com. 12 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
Previous race:
2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 		FIA Formula One World Championship
2021 season 		Next race:
2022 Bahrain Grand Prix
Previous race:
2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 		Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Next race:
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2021_Abu_Dhabi_Grand_Prix&oldid=1060115907"