After chaos at the World Cup final
Formula 1 prepares high-profile dismissal
01/28/2022 2:51 p.m
Official results will not be announced until March, but the trend already seems clear. Race director Michael Masi has reportedly had to vacate his post. The reasons for this are the decisions that led to the controversy surrounding the finale of the Formula 1 season.
The finale of the 2021 Formula 1 season was perhaps the most memorable in the history of motorsport’s premier class: after a controversial decision by the race director, Max Verstappen only won the fight for the world championship crown against Lewis Hamilton on the last lap. Now the racing series is apparently having far-reaching consequences.
Because in order to prevent a repetition of the much-discussed events at the 2021 Formula 1 final in Abu Dhabi, Formula 1 is planning to restructure race management, according to the British “BBC”. FIA race director Michael Masi could therefore fall victim to the sharp criticism of recent weeks. According to the report, the prevailing opinion in the scene is that Masi did not act correctly when implementing the rules.
Above all, the back and forth about the safety car phase, which ultimately enabled Verstappen to win the title, paints a bad picture of the Australian. “Insiders speak of a series of errors,” it says. According to “BBC”, the race management should therefore be distributed over several shoulders in the future. Apparently, rule-keepers are to be introduced that assess the contentious situation in “a calmer environment”. In this case, the famous “Kölner Keller” will immediately come to mind for the German football fan. There the video referees decide disputed scenes from the Bundesliga and the 2nd division.
Doubts about the credibility of the race director
The “Motorsport-Magazin” also writes that in future further race directors on the track will help with the implementation of the rules. Among other things, this is to prevent the teams from having a direct influence on the race management. In Abu Dhabi, both Mercedes and Red Bull contacted Masi directly and asked for the decisions to be corrected.
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According to the report, it is written in the stars whether Masi will still be a contact at all in the future. Some teams are said to have recommended that the FIA replace him. Referring to “senior insiders,” BBC reports doubts that Masi remains credible. So Abu Dhabi was just the culmination of a few mistakes. The “most likely scenario” is that a new race director will be installed before the start of the 2022 season.
Such a decision could also end the uncertainty surrounding Lewis Hamilton. The world champion, who was not only dethroned, but also in connection with Masi’s decisions, has imposed a public silence on himself since Abu Dhabi. At the request of RTL/ntv, Mercedes recently confirmed that the results of the FIA investigation also seem to depend on whether the seven-time champion will continue his career or not. He had harshly criticized the race control during the last laps.
Even the reaction from the official side at least does not suggest that Masi enjoys full support. The new FIA boss Mohammed Ahmed bin Sulayem announced that “all necessary decisions will be made following a detailed investigation into the events”. Decisions are expected at a World Council meeting in Bahrain on March 18 ahead of the Formula 1 season opener.