Michael Masi axed as F1 race director as five key rule changes are revealed
© Provided by Metro Last season’s dramatic final race has prompted a host of changes (Picture: Getty)
Michael Masi has been removed as F1 race director following last year’s controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem announcing a host of changes.
The Australian’s axing has effectively confirmed that he failed to correctly apply the rules during the restart in the final lap of last season’s final race, when Max Verstappen – on fresh tyres – overtook
Lewis Hamilton to win the title.
Masi has now been replaced in the role by Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich, who will share the job going forward and act as race director in alternating Grand Prix.
© Provided by Metro Hamilton and Mercedes were livid with Masi’s intervention (Picture: Getty)
Despite being stood down as F1 race director, Masi has been ‘offered a new position within the FIA’ with Ben Sulayem acknowledging the ‘very challenging job’ he has performed over the last three years.
In one of four other key changes, the race directors will now be assisted in all decision-making processes by the Virtual Race Control Room, while Herbie Blash has also been brought in as a permanent senior advisor.
The VRCR will effectively act like VAR does in football and offer real-time support to the race director, providing help on how to apply the sporting regulations, with the change suggesting Masi had altered the restart rules on the fly in Abu Dhabi.
To further prevent a situation like that arising again, the unlapping procedures behind the safety car will be reassessed by the F1 Sporting Advisory Committee.
The new procedures will be presented to the next F1 Commission prior to the start of the new season, while a full report on the failing in Abu Dhabi will be published at the season-opening race in Bahrain on 19 March.
In a fifth and final key change, direct radio communications between the race director and teams during the Grand Prix will no longer be broadcast on TV.
© Provided by Metro Mercedes have been the driving force behind the new changes (Picture: Getty)
This decision has been made to ‘protect the race director from any pressure and allow him to take decisions peacefully’ after team principles Christian Horner and Toto Wolff were both criticised for tyring to influence the restart in Abu Dhabi.
It will still be possible for teams to communicate with the race director, but they will now have to do so according to a ‘well-defined and non-intrusive process’.
On the changes, Ben Sulayem added: ‘With this plan, FIA opens the way for a new step forward in Formula 1 refereeing. Without the referees, there is no sport. Respect and support of the referees is in the essence of the FIA.
‘That is why these structural changes are crucial in a context of strong development and the legitimate expectations of drivers, teams, manufacturers, organizers, and of course, the fans.’
Good riddance.