F1: Mercedes drop appeal against Abu Dhabi result following talks with Lewis Hamilton

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Mercedes have dropped their appeal against the outcome of Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the Formula 1 World Championship.

Lewis Hamilton’s team had lodged their intention to appeal in the wake of the controversial end to the season finale, which resulted in Max Verstappen winning both the race and his maiden world title.

But this morning Mercedes said they had withdrawn that protest, paving the way for Verstappen to be awarded the championship trophy in a gala in Paris later tonight, which neither Hamilton nor team principal Toto Wolff will be attending.

In a lengthy statement, Mercedes said: “Together with Lewis, we have deliberated carefully over how to respond to the events at the Formula 1 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.

“We appealed in the interest of sporting fairness and we have since been in constructive dialogue with the FIA and Formula 1 to create clarity for the future so that all competitors know the rules and how they will be enforced.

“We welcome the decision by the FIA to install a commission to analyse what happened. We will actively work with this commission to build a better Formula 1.”

Meanwhile, Susie Wolff, wife of the Mercedes team principal, said the outcome of the championship had left “a sick feeling”.

She added: “The decision of one person within the governing body who applied a rule in a way which has never been done before single-handedly decided the world championship. Rules are rules, they can’t be changed on a whim by one individual at the end of a race.”

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