Masi: I feared attack after death threats

MICHAEL MASI was worried he could be attacked in London by angry Lewis Hamilton fans after his controversial handling of last season’s title decider. The Australian was sacked as race director after his decision to bring in the safety car in Abu Dhabi, which allowed Max Verstappen to pass Hamilton and win the world championship. ‘I was confronted with hundreds of social media messages,’ said Masi (right). ‘They were shocking. Racist, abusive, vile. They called me every name under the sun. ‘There were death threats, people saying they were going to come after me and my family.

‘Walking down the street in London a day or two later, I thought I was OK until I looked over my shoulder. I wondered if people were going to get me.’ Speaking to the Daily Telegraph in Australia, Masi added: ‘I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I lost my appetite. I wanted to be in a bubble.’