Mercedes had both of their appeals at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix rejected on Sunday night.
The Constructors Championship winners were absolutely livid with the manner in which Max Verstappen was allowed to overtake Lewis Hamilton on the final lap at the Yas Marina Circuit.
With both drivers having entered the final race of the season in the United Arab Emirates on level points, victory for Verstappen brought an end to Mercedes' six-year streak of triumphant divers.
Verstappen vs Hamilton drama
Hamilton had looked to be on course for a record-breaking eighth world title when a late safety car changed everything and allowed Verstappen to budge up to his rival on fresher tyres.
The resulting final-lap shootout saw Verstappen take the prize for Red Bull with Mercedes feeling so aggrieved at the situation that they took their case to the FIA just moments after grand prix finished.
However, after hours of nail-biting anticipation where fans began to wonder whether Hamilton could genuinely be instated as champion, the FIA revealed that stewards had rejected Mercedes' claims.
Mercedes launch an appeal
But don't think for one second that the saga is over because Mercedes still have the right to appeal that could see the debate over the Abu Dhabi GP classification drag on for even longer.
The Silver Arrows confirmed last night on Twitter that they would indeed be appealing the stewards' decision in what must surely now be the most controversial ending to an F1 season this century.
But do Mercedes have a leg to stand on? While it's hard to be 100% certain at such an early stage, there are perhaps more indications that they might do than you might expect after the FIA's verdict.
Twitter thread on Mercedes' case
At least, that's the outlook of racing driver Bradley Philpot who went viral on Sunday night for a Twitter thread giving 'a lawyer’s perspective' on why 'Mercedes has strong grounds for an appeal.'
The fascinating breakdown attacks each bullet point of Red Bull's defence against Mercedes' protest in the document released by the FIA explaining why they stood by their original decision.
All in all, it comes together for a gripping and intriguing look at the carnage that might well suggest that Mercedes could still make a claim from the season's conclusion, so check it out down below:
Food for thought, right?
'The FIA are going to be taken to pieces'
The moral of the story from Philpot's perspective is that Michael Masi's right to override must still operate within F1 regulations and that one of Red Bull's defences is merely hypothetical.
In fact, so sure of Mercedes' strong argument, Philpot later tweeted: "Based on conversations I’ve had today with lawyers to whom the regulations in question are not complex, the FIA are going to be absolutely taken to pieces in a real court where they can’t simply find themselves not guilty.
"The response from the stewards won’t hold up."
The drama goes on
Now, obviously, it remains to be seen the extent to which Philpot's estimations will come true, but his inclinations appear to be based upon his own racing acumen and discussions with people in law.
However, regardless of how you think an appeal might pan out in the coming weeks and months, the one thing that we can be certain of is that we haven't heard the last of the season's crazy climax.
We can only hope that whatever conclusion they reach is the right one for the spot because, correct or not, there's no denying that the final lap of the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP will be remembered forever.
