Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have shared their expectations for the FIA's full report into the events of the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. That race saw Verstappen overtake Hamilton on the last lap to beat the Briton to the World Championship, after then-Race Director Michael Masi's interpretation of the Safety Car rules worked to the Dutchman's advantage. Amid a backlash from Mercedes and fans, the FIA launched an investigation into the closing laps, and the decisions taken by Masi, with the findings set to be presented at Saturday's World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) meeting in Bahrain. In the aftermath of the race, the FIA removed Masi from the role he held for three years, with Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich stepping up to share Race Director duties in 2022.
Verstappen and Hamilton share their thoughts on the report
It remains unclear whether the full report, or simply a summary of the findings, will be released to the media, but Verstappen says issuing the complete document is not necessary. "I don't think we need a full report," Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365.com , on the eve of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend. "Of course, it's always good to discuss what happened the year before and what you can do better. "That's what teams do as well – you always analyse everything you do, so if things can be written down in an easier way, or [there's] a way to understand it better, then for sure, but let's see." Asked the same question at a later press conference, Hamilton argued that the most important thing is to ensure F1's transparency, stating that he's "looking forward" to the report coming out. He said: "I think it's important that as a sport, we're transparent. I had a good meeting with [FIA President] Mohammed [Ben Sulayem] to agree the direction that we should take as a sport. "I'm looking forward to seeing [the report] come out and for people to know that the sport is transparent, and that we are learning from what's happened in the past, and we'll make improvements moving forwards."
Other drivers have their say ahead of Saturday's meeting
Responding to the same question, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc echoed Hamilton's thoughts. "I think it is really important to have that transparency and for us to be able to see [the report]," said the Monegasque. "Whether I will read it, I don't think so – It will probably be too long. But it's important to at least have the big lines and know what the conclusion is in order to grow from it, and to maybe manage those situations better in the future." McLaren's Lando Norris added: "I don't mind seeing [the report]. As long as there's a good result and a positive result going forward, then I'll be happy." Meanwhile, Mick Schumacher is keen for the sport to draw a line under the matter. "I think that's in the past," the Haas driver said of last year's season finale. "It's good to know what came out of the results and analysis, but we have to look to the future and obviously try not to repeat something like that."
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