FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem recently announced that Michael Masi would step down as Formula 1 race director. The Australian, who took over in 2019 following the death of Charlie Whiting , has come under enormous pressure. during the end of the 2021 season and his actions sparked a head-to-head battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“It’s complicated, but it’s an FIA matter. I think it’s cruel, last year I was in a very difficult position,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told talkSPORT Breakfast. “We feel like a lot of decisions were made against us last year.”
“If you look at the resources that they have at their disposal [race management], especially when you compare them to what the teams have, the difference is huge.”
“It is good that they add certain things, like the equivalent of VAR, as well as the arrival of Herbie Blash as one of the most experienced characters. I think they have been pressured to fire Michael and that is not good. That is my personal feeling.” Horner declared.
Herbie Blash was the FIA’s assistant race director from 1995 to 2016, acting as Charlie Whiting’s right-hand man from 1997, when the Englishman was chosen for the role.
The Masi thing, Mercedes’ “smokescreen” according to Horner
According to Horner, Verstappen is the deserved champion, despite the “luck” of Abu Dhabi. “These are things that sometimes happen in sport. It’s not over until you get to the finish line or until the checkered flag drops.”
“Tactically, we were very successful at the end. We reacted immediately to the accident that happened with five laps to go. We called Max to put a set of new tires on him. Mercedes left Lewis out with tires that, with 44 laps, were on the limit. Max had to make that overtake on the last lap and he did it.”
The Red Bull director believes that Mercedes has put all the blame on Masi for not being self-critical. “Tactically we did very well, Max took advantage of it and became champion. Now it’s done, Max didn’t do anything wrong by the rules.”
“Looking back, there’s a bit of a smokescreen, Mercedes had two chances to get in. There was a virtual safety car and a safety car on track. Hamilton asked twice if he could make a pit stop and they left him out. “That was what cost him the race in the end. We made a good strategy and when the margins are so small, that’s very important.”
