Were the sporting regulations followed after Abu Dhabi safety car?

The safety car entered the pits with one lap to go. The stewards decided to let the cars between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton unlap themselves, but other cars were not allowed.

In Abu Dhabi, the final phase was one to remember. With five laps to go, the safety car entered the track and the safety car entered the pits with one lap to go. The stewards decided to let the cars between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton drive out themselves, but other cars were not allowed. The question is whether this falls within the regulations

The FIA should have allowed all cars that had been put on a lap to continue, instead of just the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen. What happened now is that the safety car went in immediately after the cars had passed the safety car on a lap. According to the official regulations, the safety car must then drive one more lap before being allowed to release the field.

Mercedes not ready yet

Mercedes is already said to be preparing a protest because the constructors' world champions will not be resigned to losing the drivers' world title on the very last lap. It is clear that the last has not yet been said about this part of the sporting regulations.

Sporting Regulation 39.12. The safety car needed to stay out one more lap as it has to wait until the lap AFTER the cars unlap themselves to come in.

— TheFormationLapF1 (@formationlapf1) December 12, 2021