Neither the Mercedes Formula 1 nor Formula E teams made an appearance at the pre-ceremony photoshoot on Tuesday night, ahead of the FIA Prize-Giving Gala on Thursday.
Mercedes claimed their eighth straight Formula 1 Constructors Championship along with both the Team and Drivers’ Championships in Formula E.
However, as of Tuesday, the team were still in the midst of the process to appeal protests lodged after the controversial ending of the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP. The two protests launched by the team were dismissed but the Silver Arrows had until Thursday to file an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Incidentally that happens to be the day of the FIA Prize Giving Gala.
However, on Thursday morning, Mercedes released a statement saying they would be withdrawing their appeal.
The team said that they “appealed in the interest of sporting fairness, and we have since been in a constructive dialogue with the FIA and Formula 1 to create clarity for the future, so that all competitors know the rules under which they are racing, and how they will be enforced.”
READ: ‘They don’t want to look like bad losers’: Mercedes to ‘back off’ from appeal
Continuing, they said: “Thus, we welcome the decision by the FIA to install a commission to thoroughly analyse what happened in Abu Dhabi and to improve the robustness of rules, governance and decision making in Formula 1.
“We also welcome that they have invited the teams and drivers to take part.
“The Mercedes-AMG Petronas team will actively work with this commission to build a better Formula 1 – for every team and every fan who loves this sport as much as we do.
“We will hold the FIA accountable for this process and we hereby withdraw our appeal.”
Verstappen will collect his first World Drivers’ Championship trophy in Paris on Thursday. Red Bull are celebrating their first Driver’s Championship since Sebastian Vettel won the F1 crown in 2013.
Follow us on Google News to never miss an F1 story