Michael Masi removed as F1 race director
The man at the center of the Abu Dhabi controversy, Michael Masi has been removed as F1 race director, as part of a shake-up of the way race weekends are run; ahead of the new season and will be offered another position in the FIA, that position is likely to be a safety role, distanced from decision making.
As I said in my previous blog about this issue, if Masi was removed, then they have to reverse the race and world drivers championship result, as the Australian’s removal is an admittance that the correct procedures were not followed at the Yas Marina race, making the race result illegitimate.
However, if the social media backlash from Hamilton fans and Lewis Hamilton’s insistence on learning of the result of the FIA investigation before committing to returning to F1 was in any way the reason for Masi’s removal, that’s a bigger problem, no one person or team should be bigger than the sport.
In my mind, there will always be lingering doubt about why Masi was removed, is it because he failed to follow the rulebook, or was it because of pressure from fans of the British driver, or a combination of both? The fact that Verstappen remains world drivers champion, indicates that Lewis Hamilton’s continuation in F1 and his millions of fans on social media were a factor in their decision to remove Masi.
That said, I do like the changes which will take effect from the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20, 2022. Race direction will not come down to just one person making a decision, the race director role will be alternated between two men, Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich, assisted by Herbie Blash, who was assistant race director under former race director, Charlie Whiting before he passed in 2019.
It could have been better in my opinion, as ultimately, although the two men will be alternated, the decision still comes down to one man, with Blash advising the race director of the event. I think it would be better to have all three men as co-race directors, where consensus has to be found for a decision.
Direct communication with the race director will no longer be permitted, which I think is a massive step forward, both Red Bull and Mercedes were on the radio to Masi, pressuring him to make a decision in their favor. Teams will be allowed to ask questions of race control, but not have direct access to the race director, instead, these questions will be handled by members of race control shielding the race director.
I don’t believe that Michael Masi deliberately made a decision to advantage Red Bull, I think the system failed, with both Red Bull and Mercedes in his ear, with little to no time to consider his options, plus the pressure to deliver a race, not ending the season as a damp squib under the safety car.
As a neutral, with no dog in the race, I’d like to see fairness, if rules were not followed, Hamilton should be handed his eighth world drivers title, but at the same time, uncrowning a champion after being recorded in history as champion, would not be a good look for the governing body or Formula One.