The race is on and the 2021 Formula One season is finally over, four days after the controversial

Aber Dhabi season finale, with Mercedes dropping its appeal, meaning any remaining doubts, hanging

over Max Verstappen's's driver's championship is gone.

But why did Mercedes do this? And what are the implications for F1 and the FIA?

I'm Edstraw, and joining me to answer those questions and more are Scott Mitchell and Glenn Freeman.

Well, before we discuss this, I'm going to start off reading the key part of the statement

Mercedes issued confirming it was withdrawing its appeal. The statement was addressed to the Formula One

community and fans. It said, we left Abu Dhabi in disbelief of what we had just witnessed. Of course,

it's part of the game to lose a race, but it's something different when you lose faith in racing.

Together with Lewis, we have deliberated carefully over how to respond to the events at the Formula One season finale.

We have always been guided by our love of this sport, and we believe that every competition should be won on merit.

In the race on Sunday, many felt, us included, that the way things

unfolded was not right. The reason we protested the race result on Sunday was because the safety

car regulations were applied in a new way that affected the race result after Lewis had been in a

commanding lead and on course to win the World Championship. We appealed in the interest of sporting fairness and we have since been in a constructive

dialogue with the FIA and Formula One to create clarity for the future so that all competitors

know the rules under which they are racing and how they will be enforced.

Thus, we welcome the decision by the FIA to install a commission to thoroughly

analyse what happened in Aber Dhabi and to improve the robustness of rules, governance and decision

making in Formula One. We also welcome that they have invited the teams and drivers to take

part. Mercedes will actively work with this commission to build a better Formula One for every team and every fan who loves this sport as much as we do.

We will hold the FIA accountable for this process

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