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Australian Michael Masi has been changed as Method 1 race director and provided a brand new function throughout the sport’s governing physique, FIA, within the wake of the title-deciding security automotive controversy within the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Key factors:
- Michael Masi attracted scrutiny for the way in which he dealt with final 12 months’s season-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
- The Australian will now not be race director
- F1 has additionally determined to not broadcast radio chat from groups reside to air within the upcoming season
Masi’s former job is to be cut up between Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas as a part of a restructuring unveiled by the FIA’s president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Masi’s future was thrown into doubt after he altered the security automotive process to permit for a final lap of racing that value Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton a report eighth title and handed a primary to Purple Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Masi determined that solely the lapped automobiles between race-leading Hamilton and second-placed rival Verstappen ought to get out of the way in which after a late-race crash involving Williams driver Nicholas Latifi, permitting the Dutchman who was on recent tyres, in comparison with Hamilton’s worn ones, to get a straightforward run on the Brit and go him on the ultimate lap.
The brand new race management administration group shall be in place in time for the primary pre-season check in Barcelona on February 23, with FIA veteran Herbie Blash aiding Wittich and Freitas as a everlasting senior adviser.
The modifications had been unveiled by Ben Sulayem in a speech posted on-line.
They embrace the establishing of a digital race management room, working in an identical method to soccer’s VAR.
Unlapping procedures behind the security automotive will even be reassessed by the F1 Sporting Advisory Committee and introduced to the subsequent F1 Fee earlier than the beginning of the season, whereas direct radio communications throughout the race, broadcast reside on TV, shall be eliminated.
Mr Sulayem stated they had been being faraway from the printed resulting from them putting undue stress on the race director.
Throughout the ultimate race of the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi, each Purple Bull group boss Christian Horner and Mercedes’ Toto Wolff had been captured talking to Masi in regards to the late race security automotive.
Horner first spoke to Masi, asking why the lapped automobiles weren’t being allowed via.
“As a result of, Christian, simply give me a second. My massive one right here is to get this incident clear,” Masi responded however then infamously reversed his choice, permitting Verstappen to restart the race on the again of Hamilton, successfully gifting him his maiden drivers’ championship.
The choice earned the ire of Wolff who berated the Australian race director: “It’s good to reinstate the lap earlier than, that is not proper,” Wolff demanded.
It fell on deaf ears however Mercedes protested the outcome earlier than in the end withdrawing their enchantment.
However the injury it appears was performed for Masi and Mr Sulayem stated the modifications had been introduced and authorised at a gathering of the F1 Fee.
Reuters/ABC
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