Lewis Hamilton has said he wasn’t expecting an apology from the FIA over the controversial ending to last season at Abu Dhabi.

The FIA confirmed over the week that ‘human error’ was to blame for the bizarre ending to the title finale between Hamilton and Max Verstappen. 

The Mercedes star has admitted he wasn’t ever expecting an apology, but sees the admission as a “positive step”. 

The FIA released the reports over the weekend and admitted that human error in interpreting the rules had led to the one lap shoot out we saw between the pair of drivers. Despite this, they said that Verstappen’s title win was still “valid.”

The decision made at Abu Dhabi allowed only the lapped cars between Hamilton and Max to overtake the Safety Car. With Verstappen on fresh tyres, he easily passed the seven-time champion and claimed his first ever world championship—and ended a spell of Mercedes dominance.

The decision sparked outrage across F1, with fellow racers, owners, pundits and fans having their say on what was a controversial decision. 

BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 10: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes looks on during Day One of F1 Testing at Bahrain International Circuit on March 10, 2022 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Mercedes were outraged more than anyone and looked to appeal Max’s title win, but they later decided against this as Hamilton didn’t want to win the title in court. They have now said they are moving on from the decision, that saw Michael Masi lose his job.

The decision put doubt over Hamilton’s return to the sport, but he returned and put in a solid performance on Sunday—securing third after both Red Bull’s suffered engine failure.

When asked on Saturday what he thought of the decision, he said to Sky Sports: "Look, I wasn't expecting an apology, and it is not something I have focused on.

DOHA, QATAR - NOVEMBER 20: Pole position qualifier Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP talks to the media in parc ferme during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Losail International Circuit on November 20, 2021 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Hamad I Mohammed - Pool/Getty Images)

"We know that is the way it is, and that was probably not going to happen.

"But at least there is that transparency, and it has been called a human error and that is a positive step.

Hamilton will be keen to quickly move on from this issue and focus on what may be a tricky season for Mercedes.