Lewis Hamilton won the first Grand Prix of the 2021 season, yet the race left a trail of important controversy, something we hadn’t witnessed in a while. In a sense, this can be seen as a positive sign, because such noise is a consequence of a heated battle on the track. On the other, it is worth considering the reason for these debates and whether they could have been handled differently. 

The British driver, champion in the last four World Championships and in six of the last seven seasons, had not won the opening GP of the championship since 2015. Last weekend’s success, however, has been quite debated considering that Max Verstappen appeared in a much better position.  In a season when the Dutchman appears as Hamilton's main antagonist for the title fight, and after dominating the entire weekend, closing all free practice sessions and qualifying ahead of the Briton, the young talent had to let Hamilton by during the last few laps of the GP.  

Red Bull's talent managed to overtake  Hamilton around the outside of turn 4. Unfortunately, the Dutchman had all four wheels of his RB16B off the race track prompting the race officials to inform him to give the position back. Race director

Michael Masi addressed the issue immediately after the race: “The penalty, in reality, would have been taken not for having exceeded the track limits, but for having obtained an important advantage from this manoeuvre. 

“Before the race, during the meeting on Friday, in fact, we made it clear that the riders would be allowed to go off the track with all four wheels at that point. However, if that manoeuvre had led to an evident and concrete advantage, that would have triggered a penalty. Hamilton, for example, went wide in that spot many times but that wasn't a problem until we realized it was happening too often”. 

Masi also explained that it was him who immediately informed Red Bull about their possible penalty and the need to let the Mercedes driver pass.  

“Red Bull were given an instruction immediately by myself that I suggested they relinquish that position as listed in the Sporting Regulations, which they did. It wasn’t for exceeding track limits – it was for gaining a lasting advantage by overtaking another car off the race track.” 

FIA official Emanuele Pirro further commented on the topic telling the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport that Max Verstappen “would have got a maximum 5-second penalty”. 

Pirro also clarified that "a race official will never force anything, because he may not do that he may only suggest it. Verstappen gave back his position and we did not have to deal with the case specifically.

Pirro confirmed that race director Masi warned Hamilton and Mercedes regarding the Englishman's exit at turn 4 during the race.

"Hamilton went over the track limits a little too often, creating a repeated advantage, so Masi, the only one with the authority to talk to the teams, called Mercedes to warn them that if Hamilton did it more often he would get the white-black flag. That could end up giving him a penalty.