Masi will be replaced by Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich, and a series of new structures, including a stand-alone race control unit.
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After his role in the controversial finale to last season’s championship-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the FIA has fired Michael Masi as Formula One’s race director. Masi will be replaced by Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich, and a series of new structures, including a stand-alone race control unit, which will be implemented by the sport’s governing body. The FIA, on the other hand, has yet to release the findings of its investigation into what happened in Abu Dhabi and Masi’s level of responsibility in making decisions that put Max Verstappen ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the world championship.
On Thursday, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the newly appointed FIA president, announced that Masi would not be fired from the sport’s governing body, but would instead be offered another position. After Charlie Whiting’s death in 2019, the Australian took over as race director. He was liked and respected in the paddock, but events have clearly taken their toll; observers described him as a shadow of his former self at a meeting of the F1 commission on Monday.
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The new role will be shared by Freitas, a well-known race director in the world endurance championship, and Wittich, the race director of the DTM, the German touring car championship. This year, the German was supposed to start as Masi’s assistant. The division of responsibilities raises concerns about decision-making consistency.
Masi’s intervention in Abu Dhabi, where he improvised with the rules surrounding the safety car and how cars could unlap themselves, proved crucial in the title fight between Hamilton and Verstappen. It ultimately allowed Red Bull’s Verstappen, who was running on fresh tyres, to attack and pass Hamilton on the final lap, securing the championship.
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Masi and the FIA were immediately chastised for their handling of the situation. Hamilton believed the race had been rigged, and his Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, warned Hamilton that if the FIA’s findings were not satisfactory, he would retire from F1. His continued participation in F1 is thought to be contingent on the FIA putting in place structures to prevent a repeat of the events. However, he will be present at the Mercedes car’s launch on Friday, indicating that he will now race.
