- Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has stated that former race director Michael Masi was a Formula One liability
- Wolff says drivers complained of being treated disrespectfully by Masi, who conducted drivers’ briefings
- According to Wolff, up to date, the former race director has not correctly reflected that he did something wrong
- Michael Masi made a decision that saw Max Verstappen win the Formula One championship title at Abu Dhabi last year
The CEO of Mercedes, Toto Wolff, has accused Michael Masi, the former Formula One race director, of “disrespecting” drivers by acting as if he always knew better.
Last season’s dramatic world championship decider in Abu Dhabi, where Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to the title, will be four months old on Tuesday.
Fomer F1 Race Director Michael Masi. Photo/New York Times
However, Wolff continues to be irritated by Masi’s handling of the situation.
The FIA replaced Masi as race director for the 2021 finale, with new race directors Niels Wittich and Edoardo Freitas taking over on a shared basis and establishing their influence on the grid with a series of rules changes.
Wolff’s thoughts return to the days leading up to the most dramatic conclusion in Formula One history.
“It is quite interesting because I had lunch with him [Masi] on the Wednesday before the race, and I told him that ‘I want to tell you, without patronising you, that you need to take criticism on board and develop from there.
Lewis does it every day, but you are a guy who always seems to know better,” he told the PA news agency.
“It wasn’t about influencing him but giving my honest feedback that he shouldn’t block outside opinion as simply being wrong.
“You hear from the drivers and how the drivers’ briefings were conducted [by Masi], and some of the guys said it was almost disrespectful how he treated some of them.
“He was just immune to any feedback, and even today, he has not correctly reflected that he did something wrong.
“He was a liability for the sport because everybody talked about Abu Dhabi and the race director.
The race director should not be somebody that people talk about, but someone who does the job and makes sure the race is run according to the regulations.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff (left), Lewis Hamilton (right). Photo: MARCA
Between now and the next race in Imola on April 24, Hamilton is scheduled to be at Mercedes’ Brackley factory as the Silver Arrows try to catch up to rivals Ferrari and Red Bull.
Hamilton is now in sixth place in the standings, 43 points behind leader Charles Leclerc and nine points behind new teammate George Russell.
The 24-year-old has placed second in the standings after finishing ahead of Hamilton in two of the first three races.
Hamilton and Russell seem to be getting along, as they went surfing together before the Australian Grand Prix.
Asked if he was surprised how well the two Britons are getting on, Wolff replied: “Yes, because they are both so competitive whilst still working together.
“The effort they are putting into showing respect – from the young kid to the best and from Lewis in appreciating the future talent that is in George – is impressive.”
WHAT WERE THE FINDINGS IN THE ABU DHABI REPORT?
Last month, the FIA released its entire assessment on the Abu Dhabi GP, confirming that “human error” had a role in the 2021 title dispute.
Max Verstappen won the 2021 Abu Dhabi controversial title. Photo: Planet F1
But also stating that Masi behaved in “good faith” and that the race and championship results were “legitimate.”
The FIA admitted in the investigation that Masi broke F1 rules by handling the late Safety Car and allowing Verstappen and Hamilton to race for one final lap.
The race director “ordered the safety car back into the pit lane without it having completed an additional lap as required by the Formula One Sporting Regulations (Article 48.12),” according to the FIA.
According to the report, only five cars could unlap themselves under the safety car, rather than all of the unlapped cars as required by the rules.
“The process of identifying lapped cars has up until now been a manual one, and human error led to the fact that not all cars were allowed to un-lap themselves.”
They claim to have devised software to “automate the communication of the list of cars that must un-lap themselves” as a reaction.
When asked if he was shocked by how well the two Britons get along, Wolff answered, “I’m not surprised at all.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login