Hamilton, who now trails Nico Rosberg by 33 points in the drivers' championship, attempted to pass the Red Bull driver at the chicane on the penultimate lap. Verstappen moved to his right to defend the position, with Hamilton taking to the escape route.

In a bizarre series of events three hours after the chequered flag fell, Mercedes lodged a protest of the result citing "erratic" and "dangerous" driving from Verstappen. They also alleged that Hamilton was forced to take "evasive action".

The FIA then announced that the decision would be referred to the stewards at the next race in America, with neither Hamilton nor Verstappen still present at the track to provide evidence.

Hamilton, travelling on former driver Niki Lauda's private jet with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff from Nagoya to Vienna, then said in two confusing tweets that he called on his team to withdraw the appeal.

"There is no protest from either myself of Mercedes," Hamilton tweeted from 40,000 feet, despite both the team and the FIA confirming an appeal had been put forward. "One idiot said we have but it's not true. Max drove well, end of. We move on."

Hamilton's initial tweet was swiftly deleted, and it is unclear who the "one idiot" is that the Briton was referring to. Moments later, the FIA confirmed Mercedes had withdrawn their protest.

"There is no protest from myself," Hamilton tweeted minutes later."Just heard the team had but I told them it is not what we do."

Mercedes however, said it was the team's decision to withdraw their protest.

A successful hearing could have seen Verstappen handed an elapsed timed penalty, thus bumping Hamilton up to second place and giving him three more points in the championship.