F1: Michael Masi has been SACKED as race director after Abu Dhabi Grand Prix controversy

The FIA have confirmed that Michael Masi has been sacked as race director following his dealing with of the chaotic final laps of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. 

Masi oversaw the chaos on the finish of the 2021 race on the Yas Marina circuit in December the place his unprecedented calls beneath the security automobile enabled Max Verstappen a closing lap run on Lewis Hamilton with a lot brisker tyres to grab the Method One world championship in essentially the most dramatic style.

Changing Masi might be Eduardo Frietas and Niels Wittich who will rotate within the function whereas being supervised by Herbie Blash as a brand new everlasting senior advisor. 

Mercedes had pressed for Masi’s departure ever since he made his contentious determination: particularly, disadvantaging Hamilton by withdrawing the security automobile, and permitting solely the 5 lapped vehicles inbetween Verstappen and Hamilton to overhaul it previous to the Dutchman having clear air to assault the seven-time champion. 

Following a evaluate into the security automobile interval, the place each groups closely lobbied Masi, direct communications to the race director have been faraway from TV broadcast. Groups could now solely ask questions in a non-intrusive method.

The method of vehicles unlapping themselves beneath the security automobile may also be reviewed. 

Masi’s future had been a subject of a lot dialogue, and his destiny was nonetheless within the stability as just lately as Monday night time when an FIA inquiry into the race ended with out decision in London – the place the previous race director was current.

Whereas Masi will not be race director, he might be provided a brand new function throughout the FIA 

New president, Mohammed ben Sulayem, may hardly be accused of speeding his first main determination – regardless of it coming greater than two months after the controversy unfolded. 

A press release from Ben Sulayem learn: ‘Drawing conclusions from the detailed evaluation of the occasions of the final F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and from the 2021 season, I proposed an in-depth reform of the organisation of refereeing and race route. It was unanimously supported by F1 CEO and groups principals.

‘Right here is my plan for these structural adjustments:

‘Firstly, to help the race director within the decision-making course of, a Digital Race Management Room might be created. Alike the Video Help Referee (VAR) in soccer, it will likely be positioned in one of many FIA Workplaces as a backup outdoors the circuit. In real-time reference to the FIA F1 race director, it is going to assist to use the sporting laws utilizing essentially the most fashionable technological instruments.

‘Secondly, direct radio communications throughout the race, presently broadcast dwell by all TVs, might be eliminated as a way to shield the race director from any stress and permit him to take selections peacefully. It’s going to nonetheless be potential to ask inquiries to the race director, in keeping with a well-defined and non-intrusive course of.

‘Thirdly, unlapping procedures behind security automobile might be reassessed by the F1 Sporting Advisory Committee and offered to the subsequent F1 Fee previous to the beginning of the season.

‘And at last, I want to inform you {that a} new race administration crew might be put in place beginning in Barcelona for the check session.

‘Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas will act alternatively as Race Director, assisted by Herbie Blash as everlasting senior advisor.

‘Michael Masi, who achieved a really difficult job for 3 years as Method One race director following Charlie Whiting, might be provided a brand new place throughout the FIA.

Masi, 44, had public assist from a collection of drivers together with four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, in addition to McLaren duo Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo. 

He additionally had backing from vital figures within the corridors of energy. They didn’t imagine the groups ought to dictate who’s the game’s prime official. 

With round 5 laps to go throughout the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Hamilton led second place Verstappen by 12 seconds and was cruising in direction of a victory that will have topped him world champion for a file eighth time.

Nonetheless, Williams driver Nicholas Latifi then crashed late on across the circuit, bringing out the security automobile as a result of particles littered over the monitor.

Pink Bull pitted Verstappen for brand spanking new tyres, whereas Mercedes saved Hamilton out on his outdated compound, figuring out that by pitting first Pink Bull would do the alternative and inherit monitor place by preserving Verstappen out.

With loads of particles left on the monitor and so few laps remaining, there was a robust chance the vehicles would run in formation beneath the security automobile till the end line, so pitting realistically wasn’t an choice for Mercedes.

Because the drivers bunched up behind the security automobile, there have been 5 lapped vehicles between Hamilton and Verstappen, that means any restart meant Verstappen must negotiate Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel, who would let him by simply as per the foundations however not in sufficient time to offer the Dutchman a shot of passing Hamilton.

Mercedes and Hamilton have been boosted when Masi gave the instruction that the lapped vehicles wouldn’t be allowed to overhaul the security automobile and rejoin the again of the pack earlier than the tip of the race, an motion that sometimes takes place following a security automobile interval in F1.

A seething Verstappen stated on the radio: ‘Yeah, in fact, typical determination… I’m not shocked.’

However Pink Bull, livid with the decision, then contacted Masi over the radio, protesting that the vehicles must be allowed to overhaul to set-up a one-lap dash between the title contenders with out backmarkers in the best way.

‘Why aren’t we getting these lapped vehicles out of the best way?’ crew boss Christian Horner stated. ‘Christian, give me a second. Okay. My large one is to get this incident clear,’ Masi replied.

The numerous second got here just a few moments later from Pink Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, who put extra stress on Masi to launch the backmarkers.

‘These lapped vehicles; you don’t must allow them to go proper the best way round and meet up with the again of the pack,’ he knowledgeable Masi. ‘You solely must allow them to go, after which we’ve obtained a motor race on our arms.’

An beneath stress Masi twice acknowledged he ‘understood’, and moments later gave the order for under the 5 lapped vehicles between Hamilton and Verstappen to be let go, and never the opposite backmarkers additional behind the Dutchman as is common beneath security automobile situations. In brief it was an unprecedented name.

Often the lapped vehicles are given an extra lap to meet up with the security automobile, however with only one lap left this too was ignored. The choice was made to ship across the backmarkers and name within the security automobile on the similar time to arrange a direct closing lap battle between Hamilton and Verstappen.

Verstappen on his new softer tyres breezed previous Hamilton throughout the closing lap, throughout which level livid Mercedes crew boss Toto Wolff was heard shouting down the radio to Masi: ‘Michael, this isn’t proper, Michael! No Michael! That was so not proper!’

Hamilton himself was left scathing as Verstappen skated previous, claiming on his crew radio that: ‘This has been manipulated, man.’ 

Verstappen then went on to say victory and the world championship.

New F1 chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem met chief govt Stefano Domenicali over dinner for necessary talks on the subject, amongst different issues, final week. 

Domenicali, it appears, felt Masi ought to have been axed for the larger repute of the game (regardless of there being no implication that Masi was biased, even when his determination was questionable). Ben Sulayem had appeared much less sure of the necessity to fireplace Masi. 

Mercedes led two appeals to the race stewards to overturn the race end result. One centred on a second when Verstappen very briefly overtook Hamilton beneath the security automobile earlier than the ultimate lap shootout, which might have resulted in a penalty for the Dutchman if punished. This was swiftly thrown out by the FIA as was at all times prone to be the case given the minor breach.

Nonetheless, Mercedes hung their hopes on the sporting regulation Article 48.12 that claimed that racing was imagined to resume the lap after backmarkers are allowed to overhaul – in impact highlighting that the ultimate lap ought to have been beneath the security automobile the place no overtaking is permitted.

This too although was countered by race stewards who cited Article 15.3 which gave Masi ‘overriding authority’ over ‘the usage of the security automobile.’

All through the winter, Hamilton’s future has been referred to as into query with Wolff hinting that the 37-year-old could retire, however he’s nearly sure to now head into the brand new season trying to win again his crown. 

On Wednesday his Mercedes crew tweeted a silhouette of the Brit captioned ‘12 months 16’ marking 2022 being Hamilton’s sixteenth season within the sport as he seems to be to lastly declare a file breaking eighth world championship, with Mercedes able to launch their new challenger on Friday.