F1 news LIVE: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell launch Mercedes car alongside Toto Wolff

Pink Bull staff principal Christian Horner stated: “Final yr was a hell of a season – so intense from the primary race right through to that final race in Abu Dhabi.

“In some ways it solely looks as if yesterday however in others it already looks like a very long time in the past.

“It should go down in historical past as one of many all-time nice seasons. I can’t bear in mind a yr in Components One which was so shut between the highest two drivers from the primary race to the final.

“Our problem now could be to construct on that. We’ve got primary on the automobile and we wish to maintain it on the automobile and defend that title with Max, which with a model new set of laws goes to be extremely troublesome.

Max Verstappen insists the stress is off as he prepares to open his Components One championship defence.

Pink Bull grew to become F1’s first main participant to take the wraps off their new machine – the foremost of the game’s new technical period – at their Milton Keynes base on Wednesday.

Verstappen clinched final season’s championship in deeply controversial circumstances after he beat Lewis Hamilton in a one-lap shootout on the concluding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The deal is known to be price $100million-per-season for the following 5 years – regarded as among the many greatest industrial contracts in sport.

And Brawn, who has spearheaded an enormous overhaul of the game’s technical laws, says Mercedes – winners of the previous eight constructors’ championships – and Pink Bull might need taken their eyes off the ball.

Regardless of the criticisms aimed toward each Masi and the likes of Toto Wolff and Christian Horner, staff bosses of Mercedes and Pink Bull respectively, Jenson Button has identified that the kind of back-and-forth discourse which made headlines towards the tip of final yr – and significantly on the Yas Marina Circuit – has all the time been a characteristic of races. However the magnitude of the event with the title going to the wire and the elevated consideration it garnered made it appear extra ominous than was actually the case.

“I believe once you hear that by itself you assume ‘wow that’s unhealthy, it’s like they’re manipulating the steward or director’ however it’s very completely different than that.

“Each staff speaks to Masi and places their level throughout. They all the time do and should you pay attention earlier within the race, Toto Wolff was additionally saying ‘we don’t desire a Security Automobile right here, we wish a digital one’ and issues like that.

“They’re all the time going to get their level throughout. It’s all the time been like that within the sport and perhaps that must be checked and shouldn’t be like that, and that Michael Masi could make the choice on his personal.”

The fallout of the Abu Dhabi controversy from the tip of the 2021 Components One season could possibly be over quickly – together with any new modifications, personnel or in any other case, that are applied because of the FIA’s research.

Conclusions from the investigation have been handed to F1 chiefs and they’re attributable to be made public within the coming days, together with whether or not or not race director Michael Masi will proceed in his function and any new laws round in-race contact with the individual doing that job.

For Jenson Button, that’s one space which may undoubtedly be improved, with staff bosses holding off airing complaints and options which naturally favour their very own drivers till after every Grand Prix has completed.

Michael Masi has been eliminated as Components 1 race director, the FIA have confirmed.

Masi performed a decisive function within the controversy that marred the climax of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December, together with his selections finally handing the F1 world title to Max Verstappen of Pink Bull.

His name to permit chosen backmarkers to unlap themselves behind race chief Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen forward of the ultimate lap got here in for heavy criticism, significantly from Mercedes and staff principal Toto Wolff, with the game’s governing physique now confirming a change forward of the brand new marketing campaign.

Wolff stated: “Sure. completely. He’s in love with the game and we’re able to hunt for victories and hopefully the world championship. He’s in the fitting mindset.

“It was not concerning the race director, or anyone else, however about Lewis making peace with how the race ended.

“Lewis is all about justice and sporting equity and that wasn’t the case [in Abu Dhabi]. He wanted time to replicate, he comes again sturdy and is in good spirits.

“Crucial factor is that we transfer on. There was a lot dialogue about Abu Dhabi – and for the fitting causes as a result of how the Grand Prix ended isn’t how a Components One world championship ought to finish – however the FIA has put in a brand new construction and we’re pleased about that.”

Hamilton will converse publicly for the primary time for the reason that contentious Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – and a day after Michael Masi was dropped as race director – when Mercedes launches its new automobile at Silverstone on Friday.

Hamilton stated the race at Yas Marina on December 12 was “manipulated” after Masi appeared to bend the foundations to permit the British driver’s rival Max Verstappen the possibility to win the title following a late security automobile.

The 37-year-old was disillusioned following the debacle within the desert and, at one stage, it was unclear if he would return to the grid.

However talking to BBC Radio 4, Wolff stated: “No, I used to be by no means nervous – though it’s a must to respect the motive force is disillusioned after such an occasion. However we now have a powerful staff and nice assist so I knew he was going to return again.

“All of us had been disillusioned as a result of the stopwatch by no means lies and Lewis was clearly one of the best man on monitor in Abu Dhabi, dominating the race, after which it’s taken away by a single particular person in opposition to all the foundations so to digest that may be very troublesome.

“Like all of us, there was an preliminary shock. We’ve got by no means seen something like that so he needed to stroll away, and free his thoughts and take into consideration one thing else, and begin to work on these occasions and discover a answer.”

Lewis Hamilton concedes he “misplaced somewhat bit of religion” following his agonising defeat to Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi to concede the Components One title race.

Whereas launching Mercedes’ new W13 automobile for the 2022 marketing campaign alongside new teammate George Russell, Hamilton spoke candidly concerning the uncertainty surrounding his future.

The 37-year-old has since reignited his want to win an eighth world title to interrupt a tie with Michael Schumacher.

“There was a second after I misplaced somewhat bit of religion within the system,” stated Hamilton.

“However I’m usually a really decided individual.