Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes support FIA; Red Bull, Ferrari disagree

Lewis Hamilton agreed with the safety car application at the Italian Grand Prix after admitting that it brought back memories of the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi. The race at Monza on Sunday finished behind the safety car after it was deployed with four laps remaining.

Max Verstappen won the race ahead of title rival and home favourite Charles Leclerc after the FIA Race Director decided not to restart the race. It was a similar situation to Abu Dhabi in 2021, but then race director Michael Masi decided to restart the race under controversial circumstances.

The restart in Abu Dhabi allowed Verstappen to overtake Hamilton in the final lap to win the 2021 Drivers' World Championship. The British racer was certain the result was manipulated, and revealed that it was the only time proper safety car procedure was not followed.

"It always brings memories back," Hamilton said, as quoted on Sky Sports F1. "That is the rules how it should be, right?"

"There's only one time in the history of the sport where they haven't done the rules like that today and that's the one where it changed the result of the championship. But it is what it is."

Red Bull Racing and Ferrari disagreed with Hamilton and felt the race should have been restarted. Christian Horner feels the on-track marshals had plenty of time to clear Daniel Ricciardo's stricken car and allow at least two racing laps to ensure a grandstand finish in front of the Tifosi.

However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who played a prominent role in getting Masi axed, feels current race director Niels Wittich correctly applied the rules. The safety car start also benefitted Mercedes, as George Russell's podium finish was certain to have come under threat from Carlos Sainz.

"I think this time they followed the rules," Wolff said. "Maybe they could have done it a lap sooner, and they accepted the race ends under the Safety Car. This is how it should be."

The FIA's decision to deprive the fans of what would have been an enthralling finish did not go down well. There was a chorus of boos from the grand stand as the adoring Ferrari fans wanted to see a final lap shootout between Verstappen and Leclerc.