I’m trying to understand what exactly happened in the Abu Dabi F1 2021 Drama, but as someone very new to racing I don’t seem to understand what exactly happened. I keep hearing lapped cars were allowed to unlap, but as someone who hasn’t seen that match or any for that matter, I don’t exactly know what that means.
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In Formula 1 racing, a “lapped car” is a car that has been overtaken by the race leader and is therefore one or more laps behind the lead car.
When it’s said that lapped cars are “allowed to unlap,” it means that these cars are permitted to pass the race leader and go around the track to regain the same lap as the leaders. This usually happens under a safety car situation, where the race is temporarily neutralized. The purpose is to ensure that all cars are on the same lap, providing a fairer competition when the race resumes.
In the context of the Abu Dhabi F1 2021 drama, lapped cars should have been allowed to unlap themselves (most likely giving Hamilton a chance to win under the safety car), but Masi overruled this and gave Max the opportunity to win (not under safety car).
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