Mercedes motor racing team's boss Toto Wolff has claimed that ex-Formula 1 director Masi was "disrespectful" to drivers. "You hear from the drivers and how the drivers' briefings were conducted (by Masi) and some of the guys said it was almost disrespectful how he treated some of them," Wolff said in an interview with the Press Association during the Australian Grand Prix weekend.

"There is a promoter of one of the races in the Middle East who said he was so relieved he had gone because he got so much abuse from "im," he added. The Mercedes boss hit out at Masi, claiming he did not take constructive criticism. "It is quite interesting because I had lunch with him (Masi) on the Wednesday before the race (in Abu Dhabi), and I said to him that 'I really want to tell you, without patronising you, that you need to take criticism on board and develop from there'," Wolff was quoted as saying by Foxsports.com.au.