Michael Masi gets fired/replaced?

Or, only .017% of Lewis’ fans believe Max should pay the price for the FIA’s/Masi’s screw ups. Such a move would be filed under ‘how to make a disaster into a catastrophe’

 

... of which, 99.1% haven't even read the rules

(by the way, the petition reads like it was written by a third grader ... no great surprise there)

 

And probably about 60,000 of those votes were from ktu!

 

Are you all still trying to justify Max's farce championship? You all are working and researching too hard. Take a breather.

 

Many reasons for this, so you shouldn't jump to conclusion.

Some people may not wholeheartedly agree with the proceeding at Abu Dhabi, but feel a petition pointless.

Have you also considered that others are maybe not aware of such challenge (I was not) or unable to participate?

 

Issue was never Max. Always was Masi. Mercedes never protested anything along a driver issue. Well said above.

The ongoing review is all focused on FIA rules and implementation.

 

Latest press on Masi in particular. Nothing extraordinary overall but Masi days are appear to be numbered in his current role. If he continues he will be readily assisted if he is even in charge at all. Overall they are not about to decide anything soon on any major issue. Typical lol - Go FIA!

FIA admits Masi’s job as F1 race director could be under threat
By: Adam Cooper
Co-author: Norman Fischer
Jan 28, 2022, 10:34 AM
Senior FIA official Peter Bayer admits Formula 1 race director Michael Masi could be replaced, while also expressing his support for the Australian following the Abu Dhabi finale controversy.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Masi’s position has been in question since the controversial ending of the Abu Dhabi GP, when the drivers between leader Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were waved past the safety car deployed after Nicholas Latifi's crash.

This ultimately helped decide the outcome of the 2021 world championship, as Verstappen used his fresher tyres to overtake Hamilton on the last lap.

PLUS: What the FIA must do to restore F1's credibility

An investigation into the events in Abu Dhabi, as well as an analysis of how to improve FIA procedures, is still ongoing.

Among the options under discussion are reducing the workload on the race director – which built up when the late Charlie Whiting took on multiple roles – and having more than one race director, and rotating them during the season.

Plans are also in hand to provide extra remote help to the decision makers in race control, in a similar fashion to the way teams make use of engineering and strategy support from mission control facilities at their factories.

Bayer has been the FIA’s secretary general for sport since 2017.

In December he took on an extra role as executive director of the single-seater department – a change agreed before the controversial Abu Dhabi race – and thus he is closely involved in the fallout of the season finale.

“He has done a super job,” Bayer told journalist Gerhard Kuntschik when asked about Masi.

“We have told him that, but also that there is a possibility that there will be a new race director. I can only make suggestions to the World Council, and they will definitely include him.”

Bayer also gave an insight into how Masi, who did not speak to the media after the Abu Dhabi race, has dealt with the criticism that he’s faced.

Image Unavailable, Please Login
The race winners trophy is pictured in front of a pitboard for 2021 F1 World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

“He has developed a relatively thick skin against the attacks of individual teams," he added.

"When you work at the FIA, you have to be aware that you are working for the sports police.

“The policeman rarely gets sympathy, as in daily life. What has become unbearable is reactions on social media, they will stop at nothing, as you saw with the death threats against Williams driver Latifi.

“Michael doesn't have a social media account, but the hostility in other channels really hit him.

“I assured Michael of the federation's backing in our discussions and let him know - we want to continue working with you, but I also need your understanding that we have to deal with the issue.”

Regarding reducing the workload Bayer added: “There will be a division of the tasks of the race director, who is also sports director, safety and track delegate.”

Bayer also addressed the specific issues in Abu Dhabi that remain under investigation, admitting: "Masi had several options in those seconds when he had to decide, all according to the regulations.

"He could have finished the race under the safety car or aborted it. But Nicholas Latifi's accident would not have justified that. Or he could have done what he did.”

Bayer also pointed out that had Mercedes pursued its appeal the outcome of the race might have changed, but not that of the World Championship, as Verstappen was ahead prior to Abu Dhabi, while confirming team principals will no longer be allowed to talk to the race director via radio during events, with that option reserved – as it was in the past – for team managers and sporting directors.

Image Unavailable, Please Login
2021 drivers champion Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st position, on the podium with a Dutch flag

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Meanwhile the FIA has no plans to fast-track its response to the Abu Dhabi investigation, despite convening an Extraordinary Meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.

The FIA has scheduled the virtual gathering for 3 February – but says that it won’t cover F1 matters.

Thus there has been no change to the previously announced timeline for the investigation into Abu Dhabi, and the implementation of any new measures that might result.

The WSMC usually meets four times a year, but the extra virtual event has been added to the schedule as a direct result of changes that have followed the election of new president Mohammed ben Sulayem last December.

The FIA says that the meeting will in essence be to address “housekeeping” issues, such as the appointment of senate members, that follow the transition from former president Jean Todt to the new administration.

 

I don’t think his “fans” have such foresight or care about that. In fact, I think they’d like nothing better than to escalate this into a catastrophe if it will help their cause, i.e., rewrite history and have HAM declared champ.

 

Stalling just long enough to call HAM’s bluff or maybe encourage him to retire, ha-ha.

 

Has Lewis even said anything?

 

I promise to get back to the main discussion a little later but I thought I'd jump in with a viewpoint. The rise of social media have given the fans access and power never before dreamed of. They truly have the ability to influence decisions in a way that was never before possible. For me the strongest example was several years back at the 24 Hours of Daytona the GTD victory was decided on a last lap duel between an Audi and a Ferrari. The Ferrari was deemed to have bumped into the Audi and was immediately penalized handing the victory to the Audi. As it was a close friend of mine was engineering the Ferrari that took the checkered flag (his first Daytona win) and was told in no uncertain terms that the decision of the clerk was final with no appeal possible. Immediately the video started to get out showing clear daylight between the two cars when the Audi left the track. There was never any contact and the Audi merely slid off on his own. The public outcry was so extreme that despite having the podium celebrations and handing out the Rolex's, the Audi was demoted to second with the Ferrari getting the win back many hours later. The team at about 8pm were given a private ceremony (as everyone else had left including their driver and financier Scott Tucker; yes the one and only) and ironically none of the Audi drivers ever gave back their watches.

The point is that the power of social media absolutely changed that result as it was deemed final even when the overwhelming video evidence showed otherwise. This often makes me think that had the same thing that happened in the 2002 Indy 500 happened today that Paul Tracy would have been declared the winner.

Getting back to F1, because of the very public nature of the sport, it is almost impossible for Masi to continue as race director. His reputation is just too tarnished regardless of whether he is guilty or not. A little like John Delorean who, when released from custody after being exonerated, knew that his days in the car business were done proclaiming 'would you buy a used car from me?'

Just some historical context to help things along. I'll be sure to come back to Team Max a little later. Gotta earn a living first.

 

He should go now before he is pushed.

When a politician makes a blunder of that magnitude, the public asks for his resignation.

 

Presumably, the FIA will arrive at the same conclusion.

 

Other drivers and teams are expressing displeasure also, fwiw. Masi will at minimum be a huge distraction and all of his decisions will be in the spotlight should he continue on.

 

again, respect.

Seems to me that the FIA will not take any action that casts even a tiny shadow of illegitimacy to Verstappen's title, nor the ruling of the stewards (post-race). I'm guessing that any conclusion by the FIA begins with:

"We fully recognize and re-affirm Max Verstappen as 2021 World Driver Champion, with no qualifiers or asterisks. Further, we fully support the Race Director at Abu Dhabi, who acted within his authority, as well as the findings of the stewards, who supported the Race Director just after the race. HOWEVER ... "

 

I don’t know, has he? Is this story below (and others) then total BS, or can we conclude that Toto can’t be believed?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/59951382

Either way, sounds like sour grapes, posturing, or an empty threat—which is it?

Also, a whole thread—hundreds of posts long—on here about “will he stay or will he go” obviously intimates that someone said something about HAM quitting, yes?

I say the FIA leaves HAM hanging and forces him to decide if he “comes back” and THEN they’ll decide what they do with race direction. The FIA will not want to be seen as caving in to pressure from one competitor. A competitor that is seen by many of having benefited from the FIA turning a blind eye in the past.

 

Should he decide to leave, the sport will not be lessened ... at all ... by his absence.

 

Tucker...huge boost to Ferrari racing but a pariah due to his financial dealings (I'll reserve commentary too much, but 'student loans' lol)

Agree that I wouldn't really want to be Masi in that role following all of this. The Monday Morning Quarterbacking will be relentless and he will become the symbol of all that is wrong with F1 (fairly or unfairly). Had he just operated with a sense of precedent and colored within the lines, all of this would have been avoided...yes, even if Max still emerged victorious.

 

I am not trying to stir the pot, but if Masi acted within the rules at the end of the Abu Dhabi race, as many have argued here, WHY would he be let go? I don't get the sense that all of the other decisions during the year were enough to seek his ouster. It seems to be the controversy caused at the end of the race.

There is another story which appears to attribute to Bayer (no quotes) a statement that (I am paraphrasing) "there would not have been a controversy if the regulations had been followed to the letter".

So if Masi does get relieved of duties as Race Director, does that not at least imply the FIA thinks the rules were not properly followed/administered?

Another interesting statement was that if an appeal by Mercedes was successful, the remedy would be to throw out the results of the race, as opposed to getting the finishing order as it was under the last lap that did not have the controversial application of the rules. I don't think anyone had mentioned that previoulsy (if they did, apologies, I missed it).

In that instance, MV is the winner since he would be tied with LH on points and held the tie breaker with 1 extra win. So MV again is the WDC and that would seem to remove any so called "taint" from this year's title.

Just food for thought.

Regards
Jerry

 

As i see it ... Masi may or may not go, under pressure from Mercedes. But the FIA will do nothing to undermine MV's championship or the stewards' ruling ... so they won't just throw Masi under the bus and leave rules unchanged.

Most likely outcome? Verstappen, Masi and the stewards are "fully supported" (even if Masi leaves), and some modification to the rules will be made.

 

It's very simple: like in an electrical instalation, Masi is a fuse in the FIA organisation.

When there is too much tension in a system, you change the fuse.

That's what any business does with when one of his collaborators creates unwanted tension, upset the clients or brings scandal to the organisation.

Beside, Masi is quite expendable. Who would miss him ?

 

i wonder if thats Red Bull he spilt on his T shirt -----

 

I dont see Masi being sacked in the immediate future, It will be a act of guilt on the FIA, perhaps there will be another person behind the scenes to add a check and balance in 2022 to his decisions but it will be out of eyesight from the maddening crowds. Next year he'll retire gracefully.
Tony

 

Like all people he can say something or not. Simple right we all retain no matter who we are. I see no controversey if he just does what he wants with his life or its communication. Horner has not been quoted today............world turns too.

 

Dont work too hard. We need your insights and wit