More than a month after the last race of the 2021 season and less than two from the first GP of 2022, the future of Michael Masi has not yet been defined. A thick blanket of clouds has thickened over the work of the Race Director after what happened in Abu Dhabi last December 12th. Its management of the regulations and procedures under the Safety Car regime – defined “Freestyle” by the Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff – have undoubtedly affected the outcome of the championship, infuriating the Brackley team. The Federation is conducting an investigation into what happened in the last laps of Yas Marina and on this – perhaps – the fate of Masi in the Circus will also depend.
Among those involved in the work, many expressed conflicting opinions regarding the actions carried out by the race director during the final phase of the race. In the group of those who defend the work of Charlie Whiting’s heir there is also the 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, in other times anything but tender with Masi. According to the Canadian, however, a mitigating factor for Masi is the enormous pressure placed on him during the last few races by the two team principals of Mercedes and Red Bull. “Michael Masi should not be removed – the former Williams told the Gazzetta dello Sport – he worked under pressure with the two team principals, in particular Toto Wolff, who in the last 5 races kept screaming in his ears “.
Entering into the merits of the decisions made by the Race Director in Abu Dhabi, Villeneuve only contested the timing of the much talked about ‘splits’. For the rest, however, in his opinion, Masi made no particularly significant errors. “He did almost everything well after that Safety-Car. The only drawback is that he could have doubled everyone a lap earlier, but it was right to restart the race. If anything, now we need more precise rules and perhaps permanent commissioners. The alternative is to allow everything by letting the pilots punch each other after accidents like in America “, Villeneuve concluded.
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