Former System 1 race director Michael Masi has acquired help from his successor Niels Wittich close to his controversial officiating within the title-deciding 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have been tied on factors going into the Yas Marina race, that means whoever completed forward would declare the title – until they each ended up out of the highest 10, through which case the Dutchman would prevail on countback.
Hamilton led Verstappen by greater than 11 seconds when the race was neutralised by the protection automobile with six laps remaining, after Williams’ Nicholas Latifi crashed as he battled with Haas’ Mick Schumacher over the penultimate place.
Attributable to issues the pink flag is perhaps waved and permit a free tyre change, or the race would possibly finish behind the protection automobile, Mercedes determined towards pitting its race chief as a way to protect observe place. Having nothing to lose, Verstappen went for brand new comfortable tyres and maintained second place.
On lap 57 of 58, Masi directed the 5 lapped vehicles separating Hamilton and Verstappen – and solely these – to unlap themselves, and instructed the protection automobile to pit right away forward of the ultimate lap. Verstappen overtook Hamilton, whose automobile was nonetheless fitted with used laborious rubber, and claimed his maiden title.
Masi’s officiating was at odds with F1’s sporting rules.
Article 48.12 stipulated: “If the clerk of the course considers it protected to take action, and the message “LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE” has been despatched to all Rivals by way of the official messaging system, any vehicles which were lapped by the chief might be required to cross the vehicles on the lead lap and the protection automobile.
Verstappen turns into F1 world champion
Photograph by: Erik Junius
“Until the clerk of the course considers the presence of the protection automobile continues to be mandatory, as soon as the final lapped automobile has handed the chief the protection automobile will return to the pits on the finish of the next lap.”
If the protection automobile had pitted on the finish of the next lap – the ultimate tour – as prescribed by the foundations, the championship would have gone to Hamilton.
“From my perspective, Michael didn’t do this a lot improper,” Wittich, who officiated in F1 from 2022 to 2024, instructed Autosport’s sister YouTube channel Formel1.de. “The rules didn’t strictly outline the whole lot. What he did was inside his authority. He had a sure degree of discretion in tips on how to deploy the protection automobile.
“One key issue was that groups, FIA, and System 1 had all agreed – over many conferences – that races ought to, if doable, end underneath inexperienced flag situations. No one wished a race ending behind the protection automobile.
“In Abu Dhabi, the scenario was such that any intervention would have deprived somebody. You could possibly have red-flagged the race – however that requires particular situations like hazard to personnel or a blocked observe. That wasn’t the case. So pink flag wasn’t actually an choice.
“Then got here the lapped vehicles query. Initially, he mentioned they wouldn’t unlap themselves, then he allowed it – however modified the standard process by not ready an additional lap. That was inside his authority underneath the rules on the time.
“He primarily did what everybody had agreed upon: create one remaining racing lap. It produced a spectacular end, an overtake, a winner and a runner-up. It might have gone the opposite method simply as simply. That’s sport.
Niels Wittich, Race Director, FIA
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Pictures
“A late security automobile is all the time controversial. Followers don’t prefer it if it decides the race – however that applies in every single place. Whether or not it’s lap one or the ultimate laps, somebody features, somebody loses. That’s a part of the game.
“The Abu Dhabi race itself had been fairly uneventful till Latifi’s crash. With out that, it might have been a simple, even perhaps uninteresting finale. However due to the incident and the intervention, it all of a sudden turned decisive – and that upset one group of followers or the opposite.
“Folks later mentioned, ‘You could possibly have red-flagged it, you might have accomplished this or that.’ Sure, you might – however these would have been inconsistent choices in comparison with earlier races. And consistency is vital.
“In conferences with the groups in early 2022, I requested them immediately: ‘Would you like us to red-flag each minor incident?’ They mentioned no. ‘Would you like completely different guidelines for the ultimate race?’ Once more, no.
“A championship isn’t determined in a single race alone. Factors misplaced earlier within the season matter simply as a lot. Each Hamilton and Verstappen had probabilities to safe the title earlier.”
The FIA attributed the incident to a “human error” and eliminated Masi from the race director place because the Australian suffered a wave of abuse, together with demise threats, earlier than he ultimately left the federation altogether.
“After the investigation following Abu Dhabi, the conclusion gave the impression to be that Michael needed to go – primarily discovering a scapegoat,” Wittich added.
Michael Masi
Photograph by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Pictures
“What was actually disappointing – for me and plenty of colleagues – was the dearth of help from the FIA for Michael. That’s one thing that must be clearly criticised. Everybody knew that in excessive conditions, you’d be left by yourself.
“Up to now, underneath Charlie Whiting, there was all the time backing from FIA management – Max Mosley stood firmly behind him. That help wasn’t there anymore. It nonetheless isn’t. That’s one of many causes I’m not a race director in System 1.
“No matter occurred, there was no correct dialogue, no backing for workers. And that’s the worst takeaway from that entire scenario.”
Masi is at the moment on the board of administrators of Karting Australia and has been the occasion director for the Repco NextGen NZ Championship, which incorporates the System Regional Oceania Trophy.
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