Masi sacked as F1 race director over season-ending Abu Dhabi GP row

Michael Masi

Michael Masi has been removed as Formula One race director over his management of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year which led to Max Verstappen being controversially crowned world champion.

Masi was heavily criticised for the sequence of events that led to Verstappen passing Lewis Hamilton to deprive the Briton of a record eighth title. "Michael Masi, who accomplished a very challenging job for three years as Formula 1 race director following Charlie Whiting, will be offered a new position within the FIA. Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas will act alternatively as Race Director," read a statement by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, adding that that measures will be introduced to ease the pressure on the race director. "Firstly, to assist the race director in the decision-making process, a Virtual Race Control Room will be created. Alike the Video Assistance Referee (VAR) in football, it will be positioned in the FIA office as a
backup outside the circuit."

Masi was heavily panned after calling in the safety car for the final lap, allowing the backmarkers between race leader Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves. That led to a one-lap shoot-out where, Verstappen, with fresh tyres, beat Hamilton."

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