A late safety car was deployed when Nicho🌌las Latifi crashed his Williams, set🗹ting up a dramatic and contentious ending to the final round of the 2021 season.

While Mercedes opted to favour track position by keeping Hamilton out on old tyres, Red Bull gambled by pitting 𝐆Verstappen for a new set of softs. 🔥;

FIA race director Michael Masi had initially ruled that five drivers were not al✅lowed to unlap themselves, before reversing the decision to set-up a last-lap sprint to decide the title. 

It meant Verstappen restarted directly behind Hamilton. The Red Bull driver tꦬhen pulled off a brilliant lunge to take the lead from Hamilton at Turn 5, sealing both the win and hi𒁃s maiden world title. 

But Mercedes has protested the result on the grounds that safety car protocols were not followed because not all lapped drivers were allowed to unlap themselves, citing a breach of Article ও48.12. 

Mercedes has lodged a second protest against Verstappe꧂n o⛦ver an alleged overtake on Hamilton before the safety car line on the restart.