The FIA has scheduled a virtual meeting for February 3, but the agenda does not include Formula 1 matters. Thus, the date they announced for the investigation of what happened in the last laps at the Grand will not be modified. Abu Dhabi Award from last season, and the application of any new measures that may result.
The World Motor Sport Council (WSMC) usually meets four times a year, but this virtual event will be held as a result of the changes that have followed the election of the new FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem , in the month of December.
According to the highest body, the meeting will serve to address issues of “internal order”, such as the appointment of members of the Senate, after the transition period from former President Jean Todt to the new administration.
Key people from Sulayem’s team, including his deputy and the vice presidents for sport and mobility, confirmed their attendance at another extraordinary meeting after the last World Motor Sport Council main event in December.
In early 2022, the FIA gave dates for the safety car investigation to be carried out in Abu Dhabi. Possible rule changes were discussed at a meeting of team sporting directors on January 19, but the outcome of the investigation is not expected to come to light until the next regular WMSC meeting on March 19.
This schedule has caused quite a stir, as the meeting will take place on the weekend of the first race of the season in Bahrain.
The resolution of the future remains to be seen for Lewis Hamilton , who has not commented in public since losing the 2021 world championship on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi race.
Also under discussion is what will happen to the job of Michael Masi , who has drawn much criticism for his handling of controversy last season.
Among the options is to keep Masi as race director, or to have a system of rotating a team of three directors on different weekends, as is currently the case with the stewards, but the latter idea seems to have been ruled out.
There are still plans to provide extra remote help to decision-makers in race control, similar to the way teams make use of strategy and engineering support from their factories.
