A late safety car was deployed when Nicholas Latifi crashed his Williams, setti𓄧ng up a dramatic and contentious ending to the final round of the✃ 2021 season.

While Mercedes opted to favour track position by kee🏅ping Hamilton out on old tyres, Red Bull gambled by pitting Verstappen for a new set of softs. 

FIA🦄 race director Michael Masi had initially ruled that five drivers were not allowed to unlap themselv🍌es, 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 then pulled of🎉f a brilliant lunge to take the lead from Hamilton at Turn 5, sealing both the win and his maiden world title.⛦ 

But Mercedes has protested the result on the grou𒀰nds that safety car protocols were not followed because not all lapped dri🙈vers were allowed to unlap themselves, citing a breach of Article 48.12. 

Mercedes has lodged a second protest against Verstappen o𝓡ver an alleged overtake on Hamilton before the safety car line on the restart.