The disgraced former race director was described as a liability to the sport by the Mercedes F1 boss, with whom he had a turbulent relationship.
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Mercedes’ F1 team boss Toto Wolff has reiterated his disdain for tainted former FIA race director Michael Massi, who was involved in a controversial decision to recall the safety car on the final lap of the final race of the 2021 season. His actions, which were highly unusual, enabled Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to leap over Lewis Hamilton in the last lap of the race, for which the fresher rubber made him the world champion. Going into the race, a titanic battle between the Red Bull ace and the 7-time world champion was ensured, and both were tied for points. When Verstappen made the decisive overtake on Hamilton, Wolff was visually distressed and lobbied for the result to be reversed but Massi did not budge. Mercedes then appealed against the decision which was also rejected.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Wolff now reveals that he had lunch with Masi a few days before the race and shared with her the reaction, which the Australian, according to the Austrian, was unwilling to accept. Wolff also revealed that at the FIA briefing Massi had insulted several drivers a lot.
Michael Massi was forced to step down from the role of FIA race director after the 2021 Abu Dhabi race
“It’s quite interesting because I had lunch with him [Masi] The Wednesday before the race, and I told him he needed to take the criticism on board and develop from there. What do you hear from drivers and how the drivers’ briefing is conducted [by Masi] And some people said it was almost insulting how he treated some of them. He was free from any repercussions and even today he has not properly demonstrated that he has done anything wrong,” he said.
Following what happened in Abu Dhabi, the new FIA President Mohamed Ben Sulayem put forward a new protocol for the conduct of races, including a virtual race control room. Massi was removed from the post of race director, although he is still part of the FIA. There are new race directors – two of them who alternate duties between races and also former FIA deputy race director Herbie Blasch as a support structure.
0 notes
Wolff regarded Masi as a liability for the sport as he believed that after the 2021 season everything had become about Masi and his actions and this should not have happened.
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