Mercedes pays respect to Verstappen: 'Epic championship'

It was already in the air for a while, but now Mercedes has officially announced that they will not protest against the result of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and thus the championship of Max Verstappen. The Dutchman can now officially collect his trophy at the FIA gala on Thursday evening.

In a statement, Mercedes said that they left Abu Dhabi full of disbelief. "Of course it's part of the game to lose a race, but it's something else when you lose confidence in racing. During Sunday's race, we felt that the way things unfolded was not right."

Mercedes said that it went into protest on Sunday because the rules surrounding the safety car were applied in a new way by the FIA, affecting the outcome of the race. "We have appealed in the interests of sporting fairness," he said.

Mercedes reveals that it has had constructive talks with the FIA and Formula One in recent days. "We want to create clarity for the future, so that all participants know what rules they are racing under, and how those rules will be enforced. We, therefore, welcome the FIA's decision to set up a commission to thoroughly analyse the events in Abu Dhabi and improve the soundness of the rules, governance and decision-making in Formula One."

With the absence of further protest, there are therefore the first official congratulations from Mercedes for Verstappen and Red Bull Racing. "We want to express our sincere respect for your achievements this season. You have made this title fight in the Formula One Championship truly epic. Max, we congratulate you and your entire team. We look forward to competing with you on the track next season."