Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says the FIA’s process of reviewing how last year’s championship-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was handled is vital to the sport’s credibility.
However he made it clear he does not believe any deliberate attempt was made to interfere with the outcome of the world championship.
The title changed hands on the final lap of the race after a controversial restart arranged by FIA F1 race director Michael Masi. His decision to break with past practice by only allowing a portion of the field to un-lap themselves, and bring the Safety Car in a lap earlier than permitted by the rules, provoked protests from Mercedes, after Max Verstappen passed Lewis Hamilton to win the race and the title.
Despite furious criticism from many fans over how the race was handled, Domenicali is confident they still trust the sport to provide fair competition, pointing out how well ticket sales for the upcoming season have gone.
“I think that, to be honest, the trust is…