“Abu Dhabi has been hyped beyond belief” : Christian Horner wanted FIA to back Michael Masi

After the contentious world championship final in Abu Dhabi in 2021, in which Red Bull driver Max Verstappen snatched the championship from 7-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the season, Michael Masi was forced to step down as Formula 1’s race director for the 2022 season due to his poor use of the safety car. Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas took over as the new race directors in 2022.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner acknowledged for the very first time that Masi erred in terms of regulation. “He made that one mistake that he didn’t allow all the lapped cars to lap back. There were just these three cars that weren’t allowed to pass and had to stay at the back of the field. However, that wasn’t the only mistake, because the regulations stipulate that the safety car must remain on the track for another lap once the cars have rounded back,” said Horner.

Also Read: “I think Paul Ricard will be a bigger issue”: Christian Horner expresses concern over potential track-limits crisis in the upcoming French GP

Christian Horner feels sorry for Michael Masi

“There were a lot of decisions he made last year that we felt went against us, whether it was the yellow flag in qualifying in Qatar or the Silverstone incident with Lewis. But I felt sorry for him as it should have given more support after this championship because he was in an incredibly difficult position,” mentioned the Red Bull team boss.

The Red Bull team principal is also upset by the manner that all of the political debates overshadow defending Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen’s outstanding motorsport accomplishments. “Abu Dhabi has been hyped beyond belief which is a shame as Max’s achievements over the past year have been somewhat diminished by events in Abu Dhabi,” added Horner.

Horner emphasised that the outcome shouldn’t take away from Verstappen’s triumph even if he acknowledged that Masi controlled the race poorly. “The reality is that a championship is won over a season, not over a single race. And I think the way Max drove last year sometimes not with the best car and some of the performances he did last year he deserved the championship 100 per cent,” concluded Horner.

Also Read: “I think the problem is the nature of the circuit” : Christian Horner wary of F1’s ‘track limit’ issue at Paul Ricard

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