Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton will not attend the FIA's Prize Giving Gala on Thursday, Wolff himself has confirmed. The team have kept a low profile since Hamilton lost out on the World Championship to Max Verstappen in controversial style at the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. They initially lodged two protests with the stewards, with both being dismissed in the hours following the end of the title-deciding race. Mercedes indicated an intention to appeal the protest regarding the race classification due to how the Safety Car withdrawal was handled, because there is a rule which states that the Safety Car should not have pitted on the same lap when cars unlap themselves, and not all cars were able to gain a lap back. However, the team broke their silence on Thursday to announce that they will not be going ahead with the appeal , meaning Verstappen is confirmed as World Champion following his victory over Hamilton. Hamilton finished second in the Drivers' standings, whilst Mercedes won a record eighth consecutive Constructors' Championship, but neither Hamilton nor Wolff will be collecting their trophies at the annual Gala event in Paris.
Hamilton and Wolff won't attend
James Allison, the team's Chief Technical Officer, will represent the Silver Arrows instead. "Both of us won't be there," Wolff told media, including RacingNews365.com . "I won't be there because of my loyalty to Lewis, and because of my own personal integrity. "But we will be represented as a team by James Allison, who will be taking the trophy on behalf of all the people in Brackley, to celebrate our eighth consecutive World Championship title. "This has to be separated, because it's a fantastic achievement that we are very proud of. We are trying to compartmentalise the anger on the outcome of the Formula 1 Drivers' World Championship. "On the other side, [there is] the pride and joy of having achieved something unprecedented, and [it] definitely needs to be celebrated."
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