The 2021 season has reached levels of tension that find very little precedent in Formula 1 history. The tense showdown between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen has evolved into a global clash between Red Bull Racing and Mercedes, and in this climate everything It seems to have been taken to the extreme: every little detail is analyzed, every event becomes the subject of discussion and minor scenarios that in other seasons would have gone unnoticed now become a case.
In this context, the work of those who sit in the control room is not easy, but it is also true that it is precisely in these moments when the work of those who are called to manage the regulations to keep everything under control arises.
The impression left by the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is that the stress test that the FIA structure has undergone in recent weeks is revealing deficiencies, and this is not only said by the fans, but also by various people in the sector. .
The regulation, decisions and management of emergency situations often reflect a messy context, the product of rules developed years ago and which are probably beginning to show the signs of age.
In this context fits the figure of Michael Masi , who has found himself in the role of race director in dramatic circumstances (the sudden death of Charlie Whiting on the eve of the 2019 Australian Grand Prix) and who is called to pick up the baton of a historical and institutional figure such as being the safety delegate and race director of F1 for years.
On the night of Jeddah, unprecedented situations occurred for those who do not operate between the pit wall and Race Direction , such as the “negotiation” between Masi and those responsible for Mercedes and Red Bull (Ron Meadows and Jonathan Wheatley) to reach an agreement on how to compose the starting grid after a race suspension.
The red flag caused by Mick Schumacher’s crash on the ninth lap of the race at Turn 23 was much discussed. Officially the red flag was necessary for a review of the TecPro barriers, but for many connoisseurs it was an excessive decision, given that the race resumed after 20 minutes, and in such a short period of time no substantial interventions are possible.
Michael Masi, Race Director
The first interruption of the race drastically changed the classification, and triggered other highly controversial episodes that took place just after the second start. A succession of requests for clarification that at one point led Masi to say on the radio (in one of his many communications) that he could not keep up with the number of requests for clarification.
The system went haywire, or so it seemed from the outside. All the requests from the teams are legitimate, they all refer to regulations that have been produced over the years, but that is the point, the regulations seem to have been imposed.
“At one point we complained about Lewis not respecting the separation rule on the formation lap,” admitted Christian Horner after the race. “But it seems that on a restart this rule does not apply. Today I had the feeling that we were missing Charlie Whiting, I am sorry to say it, but his experience has been important for the whole championship.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B, Esteban Ocon, Alpine A521, y Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12
Horner was not in a good mood at the end of the race, and understandably so, but he had reason to complain. Four virtual safety cars, confusion in the communications informing Mercedes and Red Bull of the return of Verstappen’s position to Hamilton, controversy over the same position exchange maneuver near the DRS zone. A riot that surpassed everything, overshadowing a heated, hard and fascinating confrontation, which should put the two pilots in the center of the scene.
On the other hand, as in the worst football tradition, in the post-race in Jeddah there was and continues to be talk about the referee. Masi’s role is not an easy one, especially in the current climate, but one cannot pretend not to see that there are shortcomings and that corrective measures are needed.
The FIA is also paying the price for a gradual loss of its role that has been going on for years. With the exception of safety (a sector in which the FIA is always very active and present), the impression is that, over time, the role of those who should be above everything has been delegated to the Formula Commission 1 (mainly made up of team representatives) and commercial rights holders. The rules are discussed there and the FIA puts its stamp on the World Councils.
Listening to everyone’s opinions is the right thing to do, but then decisions must be made by those above. What emerged on Sunday night in Jeddah is a Formula 1 wrapped up in itself, full of conditioning factors that also make sense individually, but that as a whole paint the picture of a context that has become too complex, not only for the who see it, but also for those who operate in it. In six days we will be in the epilogue of a beautiful and passionate season. Then there will be a winter break that, hopefully, will also be a pause for reflection to put things in order and rethink roles and rules.
