After a month of stupefying inaction and seemingly prodded into action by seven-time Formula One world champion, Lewis Hamilton’s reluctance to return to the world’s premier racing series, the FiA – Formula 1’s governing body – finally issued a timeline into an inquiry on the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix where race director Michael Masi went rogue with the rules and gifted Red Bull’s Max Verstappen a victory that cost Hamilton his eighth F1 world title.
However, inexplicably, the FIA has decided not to announce a decision from the organization itself on the race but will, instead, beginning on January 19, 2022, hold separate meetings with the sporting directors from the Formula 1 teams and the drivers to get their input before presenting “their” final decisions on March 18, 2022 – mere hours before the 2022 F1-season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
The inquiry will be led by FIA secretary general for motorsport Peter Bayer, who was appointed to the task by new FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Initial testing for the 2022 F1 season begins in February but it is expected that the direction of the inquiry will be known by that time.
Meanwhile, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is reported to have a meeting with Ben Sulayem scheduled for tomorrow regarding the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.