Mercedes principal Toto Wolff takes fresh swipe at F1 chiefs over 'inconsistent' decision-making

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff claims that the controversy surrounding the finish of the season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is part of a ‘wider problem’ in Formula 1.

Mercedes ace Lewis Hamilton was agonisingly denied a record eighth world title after being pipped by Red Bull rival Max Verstappen on the final lap, of the final race of the campaign. 

It came after the safety car was deployed after Williams driver Nicholas Latifi spun five laps from the end, allowing Verstappen to pit for fresh tyres.

Race director Michael Masi then allowed only some of the lapped cars between the two title contenders to overtake the safety car ahead of the one-lap shoot-out, putting Verstappen on Hamilton’s tail. 

Wolff and Mercedes were furious at the controversial call and says it was symptomatic of what went on throughout the entire campaign. 

He said: ‘It is a wider problem. If you look at most of the controversies that have happened this year.

‘It was about decisions, sporting decisions on the track, the inconsistency of the execution of the regulations on track.

‘It is one thing to drive hard and to have differences of opinion among the drivers and the teams, it is in the nature of the game.

‘But inconsistent decision making leads to controversies, leads to polarisation and that was the grounds for many of the totally unnecessary controversies on the track.’