A former FIA race steward has reignited debate over the dramatic conclusion to the 2021 Formula 1 season, claiming that the championship outcome was heavily influenced by race control decisions. Danny Sullivan, who served twice as a Driver Steward that year, has suggested the title fight was effectively decided off-track.
Sullivan believes that race director Michael Masi’s calls during the closing laps of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix played a decisive role in determining the world champion. According to him, those decisions directly shaped the final moments of the race and the ultimate result.
The controversy centers on how the safety car period was handled late in the race, a sequence of events that allowed Max Verstappen to gain a crucial advantage over his rival. Sullivan argues that this intervention went beyond normal race management.
He stated that the outcome left little room for sporting balance, implying that the championship was, in practice, handed to Verstappen rather than settled purely by on-track competition. The incident remains one of the most disputed moments in modern F1 history.
Years on, the comments underline how the 2021 finale continues to divide opinion within the sport. Despite subsequent rule changes and leadership restructuring at the FIA, the Abu Dhabi decision still casts a long shadow over Formula 1.
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