The final race of the 2021 Formula 1 season was steeped in controversy, with Max Verstappen claiming the championship from Lewis Hamilton in a dramatic final lap.
Hamilton had led comfortably, only for the safety car to be brought out following a crash including Williams driver Nicholas Latifi, and decisions from race director Michael Masi came under scrutiny in the lead-up to Verstappen overtaking Hamilton in the closing stages.
It was a first world championship for the Dutchman, who had finished third in the 2020 Drivers' Championship, but debate raged after the controversial finish with Hamilton's Mercedes team launching two appeals in the aftermath.
Gary Lineker and Piers Morgan have since had their say on proceedings, and the TV hosts - who haven't always seen eye to eye on other matters - are in agreement.
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The first of Mercedes' protests, over Verstappen allegedly overtaking behind the safety car, has been dismissed, and the second, concerning the race restart, was also waved away after hours of debate.
Race director Masi changed his mind over allowing lapped drivers to pass the safety car after the late drama saw the field bunched up.
The move gave Verstappen a clear run at Hamilton in the final lap, and he took advantage to clinch the title and deny his rival an eighth championship.
Driver George Russell described the scenes as "unacceptable", though he congratulated Verstappen on his achievement in Abu Dhabi.
"Max is an absolutely fantastic driver who has had an incredible season and I have nothing but huge respect for him, but what just happened is absolutely unacceptable. I cannot believe what we’ve just seen," he tweeted.
And the comments from the 23-year-old have been echoed by former Good Morning Britain host Morgan.
"New F1 World Champion @Max33Verstappen ’s Grand Prix win yesterday was thrillingly unpredictable, sensationally exciting, and also completely unfair…" Morgan wrote.
" @LewisHamilton was robbed by rule-bending officials who wanted to give us all a great dramatic TV moment. That’s not sport."
Match of the Day presenter Lineker shared Morgan's tweet, saying he agreed with the assessment.
Morgan and Lineker had both been among those to congratulate Verstappen on his achievement, with Lineker describing the champion as "an absolutely superb driver [who] gave us the most incredible season."
Christian Horner, Team Principal of Verstappen's Red Bull Racing team, said they would push back if there are further appeals from Mercedes.
“We’ll fight them in the appeal court and then in the legal court after that if they were to go that route," he said.
“It (the appeal) obviously felt a little bit desperate but we didn’t want it to finish in front of the stewards.
“They have been great competitors this year and Lewis has been a phenomenal driver. It has had its moments, it has been tense, it has been tough.”
