Mercedes have launched two protests following a controversi𓂃al end to the title-deciding Abu Dhabi finale after a late safety car restart enabl𓃲ed Verstappen to pass Lewis Hamilton on the last lap and claim his maiden world title. 

Race direction initially said that lapped cars𝔉 could not overtake the leaders but reversed the decision, putting Verstappen - on fresh soft tyres - right behind Hamilton heading into a final lap sprint to the flag. 

The second protest relates to Verstappen allegedly overtaking Hamilton under the safety car before the race🃏 restarted. 

Asked for his reaction to Mercedes’ protests🌌, Verstappen replied: "Not much really to say about that. 

"I think it also sums up ꦕa little bit 🤪this season.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said his side was “disappointed” by the protes🉐t but added it “trusts in the FIA”. 

Verstappen believes the🌜 correct protocols were followed by race director Michael ꦗMasi. 

“Everything was clear, so then why would you run another lap behind the saf❀ety ca💛r?,” he explained. 

“Whenever everything is it’s clear that you have to release the track, so I think that’s a fair point from race direc🌄tion. 

“Of course now it works for me, b🌊ut it can also work against me. I’m♋ aware of that.” 

Verstap꧃pen ultimat🐟ely won the race and world championship with a daring late lunge on Hamilton heading into the Turn 5 hairpin. 

Explaining his thinking ahead of the restart, Verstappen said: “Of course you try to react toꩲ what he is doing,ꦜ so I tried to be not too far away. 

"I could see he was struggling quite a bit for the hard tyres to warm up and I had the grip, so I could stay relatively closeꦯ. And of course on the soft tyres, that first lap you coul💝d clearly see I had more grip. 

“But then you still have after Turn 5༒ two very long s🔯traights where you have a chance to come back. It was all pretty close between us.”