Formula 1 Race Director Michael Masi and the stewards have found themselves in a bit of hot water since the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, it's fair to say, but in Sebastian Vettel they have an ally.

The 2021 season ended in hugely controversial circumstances as Max Verstappen earned the ultimate bonus of winning the title following a late release of the field from behind the Safety Car.

Indeed, it cost Lewis Hamilton the win and the championship, and Masi and the stewards have since been hammered by many quarters for the way things played out, but Vettel has said they need to be cut some slack:

“Everyone has an opinion, I think leave the stewards alone, it’s tough enough as it is,” he said.

“Ideally we’d like more consistency but there’s also a human side, so it’s probably difficult to get it 100 per cent right, but it has to be our target, so we need to see what we can improve.

“But I don’t think it has been any better or any worse than the past, with the exception of the fines for reprimands, in terms of cash, that’s just unnecessary.

“I think it looks stupid to ask for 10,000, 15,000, 25,000… I would like to see the receipt what happens with the money."

Mercedes' initial protest of the race result was thrown out on Sunday night but they have since revealed they plan on taking the appeal further, so this story has got some legs in it yet.