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Michael Masi OUT? a band-aid on the problem!

Michael Masi OUT! a band-aid on the problem

Rumors have been swirling that F1 race director Michael Masi will be replaced for the 2022 season, as part of a deal for Lewis Hamilton to return to Formula 1. As part of a rumored deal, FIA Head of Single Seater Technical Matters, Nikolas Tombazis would also be removed from his position.

IF this is truly part of a deal for Lewis Hamilton to return to Formula 1 in 2022, this is problematic, it will indicate that Lewis Hamilton is bigger than the sport itself. If Masi is removed because of not following procedures, that is all fair and good, it does seem that Masi ignored rules on safety car procedure and lapped cars, but someone being fired, partially, or wholly to retain a driver is unacceptable.

I hope that Hamilton does return, as I don’t believe there is anyone who can truly challenge Max Verstappen on the current grid, at least NOT in the car they are driving in 2022. If the decision to remove Masi is made, in part to satisfy Hamilton, then any decision made in favor of the Briton will be questioned going forward, I don’t know how anyone could not think there’s favoritism in such a situation.

In the simplest of terms, if the race director didn’t follow the rulebook, Hamilton should be handed a record-breaking 8th world driver’s title. The fact that Verstappen will retain the driver’s title, kinda indicates to me that Masi’s removal is political, in part to satisfy AMG Mercedes F1 and Lewis Hamilton.

I see so much pro-Hamilton propaganda on social media indicating the Yas Marina decisions by Masi as the sole reason for his removal. During the 2021 season, there were so many issues with race direction, stewardship, and inconsistency in decisions, it is a joke to put everything on a single event.

I think there need to be wholesale changes in the way that race direction and stewardship are handled. I think that race direction should be a panel of three, like the stewards, where there has to be majority agreement. The stewards need to be consistent throughout the year, to avoid inconsistent decisions from race to race, a panel of five former race car drivers, with at least three stewards having to agree.

I really hope that any decision made will not be even 1% related to the continuation of Lewis Hamilton, or any driver in the sport. How can we take the FIA seriously when their decision making process is based upon a driver remaining in the sport. I guess it will at least please the Hamilton fan boys and girls.

To end this write up, I will say that I am not a Hamilton or Verstappen fan, I want to see real racing, something sorely missing in the hybrid V6 turbo era, we have to go back to 2016 for a title battle, and that was between Mercedes teammates Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, with the German edging out the Briton.

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