Toto Wolff gives reaction as FIA release Abu Dhabi report

Toto Wolff has given his reaction on the FIA’s report into the final race of the 2021 Formula 1 season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and has said it is now time to close the chapter.

The Bahrain Grand Prix is here this weekend with the first race of the 2022 season soon upon us but there remains talk around the end of last season, and what happened.

Michael Masi’s decision to let only some cars unlap themselves behind the Safety Car led to Max Verstappen being able to take the world championship from Lewis Hamilton on the final lap, in hugely controversial circumstances.

Indeed, the FIA had confirmed they would investigate what happened in those closing moments that led to what played out at the Yas Marina circuit, and they have made their findings public today.

It revealed that ‘human error’ was to blame for the situation, with it stating that Michael Masi ‘acted in good faith’ and that the result of Verstappen winning the race and championship would remain ‘valid.’

Time, then, to close the chapter at last you feel, and Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has called for that to be the case too:

“They’ve been very transparent in making it public,” Wolff said to Sky before qualifying in Bahrain on Saturday afternoon.

“It says human error and one rule was not interpreted in the right way but now we need to close the chapter. It’s 2022, it’s full-on and we need to fight for another championship.”

It’s clear that Wolff is ready to move on from the end of 2021, with Mercedes looking to make it 9 in a row this season in terms of Constructors’ championships.

Hamilton is joined by George Russell in the Silver Arrows garage and both will be pushing to take the fight once more to Max Verstappen in the Red Bull car.