Masi sacked in the wake of Hamilton controversy
FORMULA ONE race director Michael Masi was sacked yesterday over the controversial decision that denied Lewis Hamilton a near-certain eighth world championship title in Abu Dhabi.
Although Masi’s dismissal can be taken as a rare acknowledgment by the FIA that they were culpable for the last-lap incident that shook the sporting world two months ago, Mercedes will not seek to get the result overturned.
A spokesman for Hamilton’s team said: ‘No, we accepted and acknowledged the championship result in our statement on December 16. Since then, the FIA have conducted their own analysis in consultation with teams and drivers and reached their own conclusions, which they have presented today.’
Max Verstappen remains 2021 world champion while Hamilton remains runner-up.
Mercedes, led by their QC Paul Harris, believed their case was ‘overwhelming’, namely that Masi disregarded the rule book to call in the safety car early to Hamilton’s disadvantage. But they did not believe an FIA court sitting in judgment on its own race director and stewards could possibly provide them with the outcome they sought, and abandoned their litigation.
They instead sought assurances from the FIA that things would change. That may have sealed Masi’s fate, with Hamilton’s future in the sport supposedly hinging on some form of meaningful redress.
Mercedes deny that Masi’s head was a quid pro quo for their star man to race on into his 38th year. Masi was still working until two days ago in the hope of continuing in post when the new season starts in Bahrain on March 16, but was told of his dismissal on Wednesday.
Then, yesterday, the new FIA president Muhammed ben Sulayem, the Emirati rally driver whose decision it was, issued a video statement to deliver the news publicly.
Today is Mercedes’ car launch at which Hamilton, team principal Toto Wolff and incoming driver George Russell will be present.