Michael Masi removed from post of FIA Director, given role in safety: Reports

Michael Masi removed from post of FIA Director, given role in safety: Reports

Michael Masi

Australian race director, Michael Masi has been under constant scrutiny since the eventful ending to the Abu Dhabi GP which concluded the 2021 Formula One season. People on the grid and Formula One fans are split on whether Michael Masi’s decision on deploying the safety car after Williams’ Latifi’s crash and then letting the cars between Verstappen and Hamilton unlap was the ideal decision or not. Fans were speculating to an extent where there were questions regarding whether Masi even followed the rulebook or not.

After all the controversies and the speculations in the winter break before the pre-testing season of 2022, there’s a lot of questions about Michael being able to retain his position as race director of Formula One.

Newly elected President of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem is already making preparations for a smooth season ahead. After a series of considerable consultations in London, the FIA President announced that the FIA will be implementing ‘structural changes’. While we’re yet to know what these certain changes will encompass, it is rather suggestive from his statement that we can expect changes in the leadership within F1 and the FIA.

Will Michael Masi stay on as FIA director?

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The FIA(Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile)

Renowned Sky Sports F1 journalist Craig Slater has also backed the chance of a change in the personnel. It is definitely a rather good chance that we won’t get to see Michael Masi serve as the race director of the FIA from this season onwards. However, Slater also mentioned that he won’t be fired from the FIA but shifted to a role concerning safety.

“If that were to be confirmed in the coming days, that might be the material change that perhaps Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton were looking for,” adds Slater.

Masi’s controversial decisions regarding the last lap and the deployment of the safety car following Latifi’s crash garnered a lot of attention and particularly scrutiny from a lot of fans. This particular decision of his helped Dutch driver Max Verstappen overtake Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in the last lap and go on to win his first World Driver’s Championship.

Also Read: ‘I hope he will be fine,’ Former FIA president express his concerns over Michael Masi’s well being amidst growing calls for his removal‘